WASHINGTON (AFP) — Anna Kalinskaya prevented a rematch of the 2021 US Open final by ousting Great Britain's Emma Raducanu, booking a berth against Canada's Leylah Fernandez in Sunday's DC Open final.

The 26-year-old Russian, seeking her first WTA title, downed Raducanu 6-4, 6-3 in Saturday's Washington hard court semifinals to reach her third career tour final.

It denied what would have been the first meeting between Raducanu and Fernandez since they met as teen prodigies four years ago in the Flushing Meadows final, which Raducanu won 6-4, 6-3.

"I think for the both of us, it would be a tremendous result," Fernandez said of the rematch.

"We've come a long way from the 2021 US Open final."

Left-hander Fernandez rallied to defeat third seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/3) after three hours and 12 minutes to reach Sunday's final.

"It was definitely a tough match. It was a battle from beginning to end," Fernandez said.

"In important moments I was able to pull through."

Fernandez won her only meeting with Kalinskaya, taking a first-round victory in 2021 at Guadalajara.

"She's a very fast player, so it's going to be very intense rallies," Kalinskaya said.

"I just hope I'm going to play great and I want to enjoy it."

World No. 36 Fernandez seeks her fourth career WTA title and first since the 2023 Hong Kong Open.

Fernandez reached her seventh career WTA final and first since June 2024 at Eastbourne. Kalinskaya reached her only tour finals last year at Dubai and Berlin.

Raducanu, ranked 46th, has not reached a WTA final since her Grand Slam breakthrough in New York.

The men's final sends 13th-ranked Australian Alex de Minaur, who eliminated French lucky loser Corentin Moutet 6-4, 6-3, against 26th-ranked Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who eliminated eighth-ranked American Ben Shelton 6-2, 7-5.

De Minaur is 2-2 lifetime against the Spaniard, winning their most recent meeting in a 2023 Canada semifinal.

World No. 12 Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon winner, and Fernandez each surrendered only one break.

Rybakina fired winners on the final four points of the first tie-break to claim the opening set after 53 minutes.

Rybakina broke to open the second set. Fernandez fought back from 0-40 down to hold in the fifth game then broke Rybakina in the 10th to pull level at 5-5.

"I wasn't telling myself much in that moment," Fernandez said.

"Listen to my coach and execute. Don't overthink too much."

Fernandez jumped ahead 5-0 in the second tie-breaker and 4-0 in the third on her way to winning both, a far cry from leg cramp issues on Friday.

"If I was going to get rolled out in a stretcher today, then so be it, but I was just going to give it my all," Fernandez said.

Kalinskaya broke Raducanu in the ninth game and held to take the first set in 53 minutes.