Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the WTA Washington match.
Anna Kalinskaya and Kamilla Rakhimova are set to face off in the opening round of the hard-court tournament in Washington. For Kalinskaya, it's an opportunity to maintain her place within the top 50 and halt a prolonged dip in form. For Rakhimova, this match offers a chance to avenge a defeat from last year and build on her strong recent performances, particularly after advancing through qualifying.
Anna Kalinskaya
Anna Kalinskaya has competed in Washington twice before, reaching the semi-finals in 2019 and the quarter-finals in 2022. However, her 2024 campaign on hard courts has been underwhelming, with just one win from seven matches. Her serve has lacked consistency, with only 57% of points won on first serve and an average of three double faults per match.
Kamilla Rakhimova
In contrast, Kamilla Rakhimova is enjoying a strong run of form, highlighted by a solid grass-court stretch that included a quarter-final appearance in Eastbourne and a third-round finish at Wimbledon. She progressed through the qualifying rounds in Washington without dropping a set, defeating Varvara Lepchenko (6:1, 6:4) and Clervie Ngounoue (7:6, 6:2). While she did lose to Kalinskaya on hard courts earlier this year (2:6, 2:6), the current momentum is in Rakhimova's favour.
Anna Kalinskaya vs Kamilla Rakhimova Prediction
Anna Kalinskaya has struggled to deliver consistent results on hard courts and may find it difficult to overpower Kamilla Rakhimova. With her recent form and acclimatisation to American conditions, Rakhimova is expected to be competitive. The value lies in supporting her with a +3.5 handicap.
