Kalinina beats Haddad Maia in longest match of the year to make Rome semifinal

ROME -- No.47 Anhelina Kalinina
"It feels great, but I can't feel my body or my legs," Kalinina said after the win. "I think it was the longest match of my career. thanks to my coach and thanks to my fitness coach because this win is not my win. My part is 50 percent and 50 percent is my fitness coach."
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Making just her second appearance in Rome, the 26-year-old Ukrainian has enjoyed a resurgent fortnight. En route to her first WTA 1000 semifinal, Kalinina has notched wins over former No.4 Sofia Kenin
Buoyed by her winning record against Haddad Maia, Kalinina raced out of the blocks to lead 5-2 in the first set. Haddad Maia took a medical timeout to address a left leg issue and Kalinina felt her own level drop. Taking a more aggressive approach to her baseline game, Haddad Maia pounced. The Brazilian reeled off four consecutive games before taking the opener in the tiebreak.
"I started really well and I think it was my weakness because I was a little bit relaxed," Kalinina said. "Beatriz started to play really great, stepping in, playing really aggressive, but I was just waiting after 5-2. I started aggressive but I started to lose my game. I'm sorry but if you're starting to push the ball, it's not going to work."
Flashback: Five things to know about Anhelina Kalinina
3 - The match between Anhelina Kalinina
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) May 17, 2023View Profile and Beatriz Haddad MaiaView Profile (3 hours and 41 minutes) was the third longest WTA-1000 match over the last three seasons. Nighthawks.#IBI23 | @InteBNLdItalia @WTA @WTA_insider pic.twitter.com/D3qvBOoMM6
Kalinina would bounce back in the second set. Once again, she built an early lead but was unable to hold on. But facing another tiebreak, the Ukrainian kept Haddad Maia at bay down the stretch to take it 8-6 and force a deciding set.
Haddad Maia jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the final set but as the match clicked past the 3-hour and 32-minute mark, eclipsing the previous longest match of the season between Erika Andreeva
3 hours and 41 minutes 🙌
— wta (@WTA) May 16, 2023
An incredible match by both players but it's Anhelina KalininaView Profile who prevails in the end.#IBI23 pic.twitter.com/vkGheYExjC
"It sounds very basic -- fight, fight -- but it was today about the fighting spirit because it's really tough when you are down 3-0 to be positive and to still believe that you will win just this ball," Kalinina said. "It's not about winning the set because if you think like that it's really tough to go from 3-0 to win 6-3."
Kalinina will face No.12 Veronika Kudermetova