Yastremska Reaches Nottingham Open Final Despite Grass Allergy Claims

London, England – Ukrainian tennis player Dayana Yastremska advanced to her first final on grass at the Nottingham Open on Saturday. The world number 46 defeated Polish sixth seed Magda Linette 6-4, 6-4 during a rain-interrupted semi-final.

Yastremska expressed her love for grass courts, despite jokingly mentioning that she might have an allergy to the surface. ‘I really love playing on grass, even though I think I have a bit of an allergy to it,’ she said. ‘I’m very excited, and I was proud of myself. In general, everything worked pretty well. I can’t wait to play in the final.’

In the final, Yastremska will face American McCartney Kessler, who reached the title match after defeating Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova 6-4, 6-2. Kessler, currently ranked 42nd in the world, needed only 70 minutes to secure her spot in the final.

During her match against Linette, Yastremska broke serve in the fifth game and maintained her lead to take the first set in 45 minutes. She quickly built a 4-1 lead in the second set before a rain delay momentarily halted play. This was followed by her impressive win over Linette, who ranks 31st in the world.

Yastremska has only dropped one set throughout the tournament. She previously defeated notable players like Leylah Fernandez and Olga Danilovic to reach the final. Kessler, on the other hand, has recorded significant victories against defending champion Katie Boulter and top seed Beatriz Haddad Maia to secure her place. This final marks their first clash on grass, with the overall head-to-head tied at one win each.

As both players prepare for their match, Yastremska aims for her first WTA singles title since 2019, while Kessler seeks to capture her second title of the year, hoping to build on her success from Hobart earlier this season. Fans can watch the final, set to begin Sunday at 12:00 BST, to see who will claim the trophy.