by the envoy in Rome – The final of the women’s draw of the 2023 Internazionali d’Italia ends with a retreat around midnight: Elena Rybakina becomes the new queen of Rome after the forfeit at the beginning of the second set of the Ukrainian opponent Anhelina Kalinina, stopped by a problem in her left thigh.
“I thank everyone who helped me get to this final, I’m sorry I had to withdraw. I thank the Italians who support the Ukrainian people, I thank you on behalf of my people” [Anhelina Kalinina]
The first “night” women’s final in the history of the tournament (the postponement was caused by the rain which stopped the men’s semi-finals program several times) starts with a break by Kalinina, back from the most beautiful course of her career at the Foro Italico. Rybakina is contracted and takes a few games to get into the game, but when she does she creates big problems for her opponent: break in the sixth game (3-3) and four unused break points in the eighth. The set seems destined for a tiebreak, but at 5-4 the Kazakh breaks Kalinina’s serve again. The surgical break is worth 6-4. Back on the field, the Trieste epilogue, with the 26-year-old from Nova Kachovka who after a lost game in the opening raises the white flag due to a muscle problem in her left thigh. Anhelina consoles herself with the embrace of the Central and the new best ranking (will be 25), Rybakina from Monday will be No. 4 in the world, with her head already in Paris…
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Sabalenka-Rybakina, what a show: top 5 shots of the women’s final
