Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina advanced to the quarterfinals after her opponent, ailing Russian 17th seed Anna Kalinskaya, retired from their clash with a suspected right forearm injury. Kalinskaya was trailing 6-3, 3-0 when she was forced to withdraw on Monday.
Rybakina, the big-hitting 2022 champion, entered the match as the only remaining player in the decimated draw to have lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish. Despite facing an early break, she quickly settled her nerves and rallied to win the first set.
As the highest-ranked player left in this year’s tournament, Rybakina acknowledged the pressure but maintained her focus. “Every opponent is difficult and I know that I must always bring my best. That’s what I try to do form every match,” she said, highlighting her determination.
The Moscow-born Kazakh broke back before leveling the score at 3-3 when Kalinskaya began experiencing discomfort in her forearm, an issue she had treated after losing another game. Despite appearing to recover, Kalinskaya ultimately couldn’t overcome the pain and was forced to concede the first set to Rybakina.
Rybakina, who will now face 21st seed Elina Svitolina in the last eight, expressed her delight with her performance. “My serve helps me a lot and especially when the roof is closed there is no wind, no conditions and it’s perfect for my game,” she said. “I’m really happy the way I played the last two matches. I really enjoyed my time here.”
In the second set, Rybakina saved a breakpoint with a powerful ace and consolidated a break for a 2-0 lead. However, Kalinskaya’s forearm pain returned, forcing her to drop another game and ultimately retire from the match.
“It’s definitely not the way I wanted to finish the match,” Rybakina stated. “She’s a great player and I know she was suffering from a couple of injuries. If it’s the wrist it’s difficult to continue to play and I just wish her a speedy recovery.”
