World No.1 Iga Swiatek gave up, visibly affected in the right knee, during the third set of her quarter-final against world No.6 Elena Rybakina in Rome on Wednesday evening, ten days before Roland-Garros (May 28- June 11).
Swiatek gave up going on 2 games anywhere in the decisive set, after winning the first 6-2 and losing the second in the tie-break, 7 points to 3. It was during the decisive game, on a run in position defense, 5 points to 3, that the 21-year-old Pole obviously felt pain in her knee.
Simple precaution with the approach of Roland-Garros, of which she is holder of the trophy, or more serious injury? We will have to wait to find out more.
Swiatek looked set for yet another safe victory when she escaped 6-2, 4-2. But the Kazakh, who definitely did not succeed, found the resources to get back into the game and equalize in one round everywhere, beyond midnight.
The world N.1 had until then had a season on clay, her favorite surface, almost ideal, with a title in Stuttgart (Germany) and a final in Madrid, lost against world N.2 Aryna Sabalenka.
Swiatek was a two-time defending champion in the Italian capital.
For a place in the final, Rybakina will face the Latvian Jelena Ostapenko (20th), she winner of Roland-Garros in 2017. The other semi-final will oppose the Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina (47th) and the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (12th).
