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Elena Rybakina won the Italian Open after Anhelina Kalininia retired in the second set of the final due to an injury on Saturday, May 20. However, the Kazakh did not hesitate in showing support for her on-court competitor.
The women's singles event at the 2023 Italian Open will be remembered for all the unfortunate reasons. From extreme ticket prices to matches being played in half-empty courts, the Rome Masters, was not, in real terms, an ideal tournament. In addition to all that, the rain also made a few appearances to make the situation worse.
The wet weather decided to take a toll on the women's final at Foro Italico. Thus, the match between Elena Rybakina and Anhelina Kalininia was delayed for hours. Eventually, the match got underway really late with minimal people in the stands, and the audience available was trying their best to fight the cold weather by draping their winter clothes.
However, as the match ended, the Kazakh addressed her opponent, who suffered a serious injury in the final. Elena Rybakina wished Kalininia a speedy recovery ahead of Roland Garros and also called her a really good friend. The Wimbledon champion also thanked the crowd for their support at the Foro Italico.
"I want to wish Kalininia a speedy recovery because she is a really good friend of mine and I am really happy for all of her results," she said. "She did a good job and hopefully can recover for the French Open."
“A big thanks to the crowd and everyone who stayed and watched till the end. It was not easy for us but not easy for you with all the rain today so thank you so much for the support.” Elena Rybakina added.
Rybakina will be brimming with confidence ahead of the French Open after having a good season so far. The 23-year-old reached the final at the 2023 Australian Open, Indian Wells, Miami, and Rome earlier this season.
Anhelina Kalininia had to retire against Elena Rybakina in the final following an injury
Due to a long delay because of rain, the championship final of the Rome Masters finally started after the 11 p.m. mark. As the match got underway, Anhelina Kalininia started dominating the proceedings against the seventh seed.
The Ukrainian was on top of her game, but Elena Rybakina somehow managed to hit back with a break in the sixth game and eventually managed to win the set. She started the second set with full power, winning the first game. However, after the game, Kalininia took a seat to consult her doctor.
After a brief consultation, the 30th-seeded Kalininia shook hands with her Kazakh opponent and handed her the victory.
Earlier in the tournament, Iga Swiatek also had to retire against Elena Rybakina in the quarter-final after suffering an injury on her thigh. Thus, it's fair to say that the clay-court competition failed miserably to get a good ending.
