Tennis-Paolini downs giant-slayer Kalinskaya to win Dubai Championships

Tennis - WTA 1000 - Dubai Tennis Championships - Dubai Duty Free Tennis Centre, Dubai, United Arab Emirates - February 24, 2024 Italy's Jasmine Paolini in action during the final against Russia's Anna Kalinskaya REUTERS/Rula Rouhana

DUBAI (Reuters) - Italian Jasmine Paolini fought back from a set down to beat qualifier Anna Kalinskaya 4-6 7-5 7-5 in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships on Saturday to secure her second WTA singles title.

Kalinskaya, the Australian Open quarter-finalist, had been on a giant-killing run in Dubai, having stunned world number one Iga Swiatek in the semi-finals after knocking out U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff and Jelena Ostapenko in the previous rounds.