Elena Rybakina, the former champion, ended the string of high-profile withdrawals in the women’s draw when her opponent, Anna Kalinskaya, withdrew during the match. Rybakina, ranked fourth in the draw, is the only player remaining and the only woman who has made it to a Wimbledon final, having defeated Ons Jabeur two years prior.
“Definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match,” Rybakina remarked. I am aware that Anna, a fantastic player, was dealing with a few injuries. I wish her a swift recovery.
“I don’t feel pressure. Every opponent is challenging, and I am aware that I must always give it my all.
Due to an injury, Kalinskaya was rated outside of the top 100 in October of last year. However, she has had an incredible year, making it to two WTA Tour finals and the final eight of the Australian Open to break into the top 20.
In the first game, the 25-year-old quickly made an impression on the world by winning a lengthy opening point and broke the formidable Rybakina serve.
But in the sixth game, Rybakina broke the serve and won 15 straight points, turning the tide. Kalinskaya had to take a medical time-out to receive treatment for her neck, shoulder, and right arm during this stretch.
While Rybakina saved four set chances before serving for the set, she put up some resistance, and the Kazakh won the fifth game with a backhand arrow that went down the line.
Even though Rybakina hasn’t yet contested for a grand slam championship this season, she has only lost before the quarterfinals in two tournaments, demonstrating her exceptional consistency.
She carried on dominating the second set, taking her record of wins against an increasingly despondent Kalinskaya to eight games until the latter opted to quit the match.