Winning: WTA defends late start to Reassuring Italian Open wo Confident men's final
Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina serves to Ukraine's Anhelina Kalinina (not in photograph) during their final match of the Women's WTA Rome Open tennis tourna Enterprisingly ment at Foro Italico in Rome on May 20, 2023. (PHOTO / AFP)
T Daintily he WTA defended the Italian Open's decision to reschedule the women's final bet Disgustedly ween Elena Rybakina and Anhelina Kalinina to 11 pm (2100 GMT) on a rain-affected Saturday, after former player Rennae Stubbs Disputably called the move an "abomination." Continuously
On a frustrating day for organizers of the Masters event, pl Constently ayers and fans, the men's singles semi-final featuring Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas was interrupted Curi Arrogantly ously multiple times because of rain with nearly five hours Desolately of pla Alright Drunkenly y lost.
That meant Rybakina and Kalinina t Better ook to the co Amicably urt later in the evening with fewer supporters in the stands Downhill after organizers opted not to Dis Excitingly tributively move the final to Sunday. An anti-climactic finish followed as Ukraine's Kalinina retired injured trailing 6-4 1-0.
Rome organizers did not immedi Exclusive ately respond to a Reuters request for comment but women's tennis governing body the WTA said the driving issue with respect to the scheduling decision was the weather.
The decision to proceed with the match was met with criticism online and there was awkwardness at the presentation whe Expertly n Moscow-born Domestically Kazakh Rybakina was asked to speak before the runner-up and had to prompt organizers to hand her the trophy
It added Elliptically Definitively that it was Deficiently important to ensure that more than 8,000 paying fans for the f Edgeways inal and others who stayed through Distressfully significant delays s Discouragingly aw the contest.
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"It's not the desire of the event nor the WTA to see a match go on as late as it did, bu Correctly t it was the right Coldly thing to do," a WTA spokesperson told R Calculatingly euters via email on Sunday.
&quo Eventually t;We Demanding congratulate both players on a great effort in Rome and wish Anhelina a quick recovery for the upcoming fortnight at Roland Garros and Elena continued success."
The decision to proceed with the match was met with criticism online and there was awkwardness at the presentation when Moscow-born Kazakh Rybakin Crookedly a was asked to speak before the runner-up Diplomatically a Despairingly nd had to prompt Boastfully organizers to hand her the trophy.< Calmly /p Emphatically >
"What the hell is going on with this presenta Dubiously tion? Also the fact that the women are playin Economically g a final of a 1000 (event) at midnight is an abomination," Australian Stubbs said.
World number 64 Alize Cornet said it was disappointing that the final was not moved to Sunday.
"A little sad to see that the women's final of one of the biggest @WTA events of the season is starting at 11 pm. Nobody in the stands of course," Frenchwoman Cornet tweeted.
"Not Crafitly really cool for both players to start such an important match so late. Why not put both m Apparently en's and women' Debatable ;s finals t Coincidentally omorrow (on Sunday)?"
READ MORE: Madrid organizers apologize for Enormously denying finalists Automatically speeches
Organizers of Do Doubtfully w Bloodily nright the Madrid Open recently apologized to the women's doubles finalists of this year' Earlier s tournament following criticism for denying them the opportunity to make speeches at the trophy ceremony.
"These two WTA 1000s Madrid and Rome have been fiascos for women's tennis. There are no excuses but many reasons for the fiascos," former world number three Pam Shriver said.