MADRID, 21 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Kazakh Elena Rybakina won this Saturday the title of the tournament in Rome (Italy), in the WTA 1000 category and played on clay, thanks to the withdrawal of the Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina at the beginning of the second set of her final, which until then she favored by 6-4 and 1-0 to the tennis player from Kazakhstan.
After one hour and 8 minutes on the Center Court of the Foro Itálico, and already after midnight, Kalinina left the match due to physical discomfort. Visibly affected, sobbing sitting on her bench, the Ukrainian finally made that decision and regretted the outcome of a duel that had started very well for her interests.
Not surprisingly, she had broken her opponent’s serve as soon as she started, consolidating that situation immediately (0-2). But when she was handicapped by injury, Rybakina leveled the contest (3-3) and accelerated to win the first set. At the beginning of the next sleeve, the Ukrainian could no longer take the pain.
In this way, the Kazakh conquered her second WTA 1000 event this season, after having won in Indian Wells (California, USA). In addition, this success will earn her place at number 4 in the world ranking and to obtain the status of favorite for the imminent Roland Garros tournament, the second ‘Grand Slam’ of the course.