Kalinina, 26, whose best performance is a lost final in Budapest in 2021, will meet Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina (world No. 6) or Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko (20th), opposed in the other semifinal, on Saturday to try to succeed Iga Swiatek, who withdrew due to injury in the quarters.
The Ukrainian hoped with this victory to bring "positive emotions" to her compatriots, at the end of a particular match in view of the war in her country.
Kudermetova, already an unfortunate semi-finalist in Madrid two weeks ago, relied on her striking power to try to make the Ukrainian run a lot, who was coming off a marathon match of 3:41 in the quarterfinals.
But Kalinina showed no weakness, apart from an empty passage at the end of the second set, to respond, with less strength but much more accuracy and variety in her shots.
The Ukrainian fought early in the match to save her stakes, saving three break balls against her at 1-2 and then five more at 2-3 to finally keep her service games. Enough to perplex the Russian who then lost confidence and dropped her own serve in the wake to be led 5-3.
Kudermetova found the resources to come back to 5-5 but again gave up her serve because of some fouls and let slip the first set.
Facing this Ukrainian sure of her game, the Russian was annoyed at the beginning of the second set, clenching her fists in rage or hitting the ground with her racket. And as in the first, she gave up her serve first in the fifth game (2-3) but still managed to come back to 5-5.
This time she took advantage of a slack from her opponent to come back to a set everywhere, concluding the set with four shutouts.
After a visit to the locker room to regain her senses, Kalinina stopped the bleeding at the beginning of the third set and resumed the direction of operations at the beginning of the third set with two breaks that allowed her to lead 4-0. While the rain was back on the Foro Italico, it did not flinch and concluded in 2h50.
© 2023 AFP