NEW DELHI: Elena Rybakina, the reigning Wimbledon champion, advanced to the quarter-finals after her opponent, Russian 17th seed Anna Kalinskaya, retired due to a suspected right forearm injury.
Kalinskaya was trailing 3-6, 0-3 when she made the decision to withdraw from the match on Monday, reported Reuters.
Despite falling behind early, Rybakina, the sole remaining woman in the draw who has previously won the Venus Rosewater Dish, quickly regained her composure.
The 2022 champion broke back and leveled the score at 3-3 as Kalinskaya began to experience issues with her right forearm, which she had treated after losing another game.
Kalinskaya's boyfriend, world number one Jannik Sinner, watched anxiously from the Centre Court stands as she appeared to have overcome the problem. However, she was unable to stop Rybakina from securing the first set.
Rybakina, who was born in Moscow but represents Kazakhstan, saved a breakpoint with a powerful ace and consolidated a break in the second set to take a 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately, Kalinskaya's forearm issues resurfaced, causing her to lose another game and fall behind by a double break.
Visibly disappointed, Kalinskaya made the difficult decision to retire from the match, walking off the court and ending her Wimbledon campaign prematurely.
