Twelve months ago, Anna Kalinskaya arrived at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships ranked 40 in the world, ready to contest the qualifying rounds of the WTA 1000 tournament.
The Russian went on to win seven matches in a row, through qualifying and the main draw, to reach the biggest final of her career, upsetting three top-10 players en route, including the then world No 1 Iga Swiatek.
After starting 2024 ranked 75 in the world, Kalinskaya hit a career-high No 11 in October.
A virus forced her to withdraw from last month’s Australian Open but the 26-year-old is back on court feeling healthy and keen on creating even better memories in Dubai.
“It was a great week for me last year. I had so many matches, starting from qualifying, and so far it was the most matches I could play in a row and having amazing wins over top players. So that gave me a lot of confidence and a big boost of energy and positivity for the whole year,” Kalinskaya said on Saturday at the tournament’s draw ceremony.
“It was a very good time for me and hopefully I can win this week so that 2025 can be even better.”
Kalinskaya has a tricky opener this week against two-time Dubai champion and former world No 3 Elina Svitolina.
She could face top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the third round, with fifth-seeded Jessica Pegula looming ahead as a possible quarter-final opponent for Kalinskaya.
Following a banner year, does Kalinskaya feel more pressure operating as a top-20 player on tour?
“I feel more positive and more excited to have a better draw in some tournaments and I have more confidence, I would say,” she said.
“But of course to be at that level and to improve I need to work harder and it just gives me more… I wouldn’t say pressure but just more thoughts, reminding myself that I need to keep improving and then I can reach my goal.”
Sabalenka and Swiatek are the top two seeds at this milestone 25th edition of the WTA tournament in Dubai.
The No 1-ranked Sabalenka has a bye in the first round – as do all top-eight seeds – and must be sharp from the get-go, given she will commence her campaign against Doha semi-finalist Ekaterina Alexandrova or former top-10 player Veronika Kudermetova.
She shares the top quarter of the draw with Pegula and could face third seed Coco Gauff or eight seed Emma Navarro – who practiced with Sabalenka on centre court on Saturday – in the semi-finals.
Swiatek has been drawn to face Victoria Azarenka or Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, with the likes of Mirra Andreeva (No 12 seed), Ons Jabeur (former world No 2), and Zheng Qinwen (No 7 seed) all in her path as potential quarter-final opponents.
Defending champion and No 4 seed Jasmine Paolini is in the same quarter of the draw as No 6 seed Elena Rybakina, either one of which could come up against Swiatek in the semi-finals.
Tunisian Jabeur is coming off of a quarter-final run in Doha and will open her Dubai account against American Peyton Stearns.
British wildcard Emma Raducanu was handed a tricky opener against former world No 3 Maria Sakkari.
Meanwhile, tournament director Salah Tahlak revealed that electronic line calling will replace line judges starting from this year’s edition.
Last year, Andrey Rublev was disqualified from his semi-final after he screamed in the face of a line judge over a disputed call.
Tahlak also shared Dubai Duty Free’s plans to upgrade the tournament facilities.
Next year, Court 1 will be refurbished and will have a new capacity of 2,000 spectators. And in 2027, the main stadium will be expanded to accommodate an additional 2,500 fans, which would take its total capacity to 7,500.
First round action in Dubai begins on Sunday, with the final taking place on March 1.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Heavily-sugared soft drinks slip through the tax net
Some popular drinks with high levels of sugar and caffeine have slipped through the fizz drink tax loophole, as they are not carbonated or classed as an energy drink.
Arizona Iced Tea with lemon is one of those beverages, with one 240 millilitre serving offering up 23 grams of sugar - about six teaspoons.
A 680ml can of Arizona Iced Tea costs just Dh6.
Most sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, five teaspoons of sugar in a 500ml bottle.
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
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The Bio
Name: Lynn Davison
Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi
Children: She has one son, Casey, 28
Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK
Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Favourite Author: CJ Sansom
Favourite holiday destination: Bali
Favourite food: A Sunday roast
MATCH INFO
Day 1 at Mount Maunganui
England 241-4
Denly 74, Stokes 67 not out, De Grandhomme 2-28
New Zealand
Yet to bat
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
more from Janine di Giovanni
'Joker'
Directed by: Todd Phillips
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix
Rating: Five out of five stars
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
