Emma Raducanu delivered some “outrageous” tennis, but it wasn’t sufficient as she suffered defeat against Anna Kalinskaya.

The 22-year-old, who will now reclaim her British number No. 1 ranking from Katie Boulter, was punished for squandering four break-point chances in the opening set. She ultimately lost 6-4, 6-3, falling short of her first final since the 2021 U.S. Open.

Kalinskaya will now meet Leylah Fernandez in Sunday’s championship match after the Canadian defeated third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, Raducanu still emerged from her defeat with honor after delivering some dazzling tennis, despite the brutal conditions in Washington. Raducanu had complained about the heat on the East Coast.

At 3-3 in the opening set, she concluded one exchange with an exquisite forehand down the line, which left her rival frozen in place. The Tennis TV commentator praised the moment, declaring: “Oh, it’s outrageous. Just tennis from another planet.”

The audience erupted in applause for the winner. Kalinskaya’s response also said everything, lifting her racket in recognition before retreating to the back of the court.

However, Kalinskaya, positioned two spots below Raducanu at 48th globally, halted the momentum and secured a break in the ninth game en route to capturing the opening set. The two competitors traded early breaks in the second set before the Russian surged ahead again, establishing a lead that proved conclusive.

Following the match, the 26-year-old confessed that she had to dig deep during Raducanu’s early onslaught, stating: “It was an interesting match. It’s nice to play against Emma. I’m proud of myself. I stayed aggressive and stuck to my plan.”

Raducanu is now setting her sights on the National Bank Open in Canada. She will face world No. 56 Elena-Gabriela Ruse in her opening match, potentially leading to a showdown with Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.

This is likely to be her final event before the U.S. Open. Since her stunning victory at Flushing Meadows four years ago, she has not made it past the first round there.