Elena Rybakina clinched her second Masters title of the year courtesy of a walkover win over a tearful Anhelina Kalinina in the final of the Italian Open.
In a late-night Rome contest, which did not start until after 11pm local time due to adverse weather conditions earlier in the day, Rybakina was 6-4 1-0 up before Kalinina retired with an injury.
With the men's semi-finals earlier in the day being hampered by rain - Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas's encounter took over five hours in total to be concluded - there were serious doubts whether the women's final would go ahead on the Saturday evening.
However, both Rybakina and Kalinina signalled their intention to take to the clay, but the two players were only on the court for one hour and five minutes before a thigh injury ended Kalinina's dreams of a first-ever WTA singles crown.
Despite coming into the final as the overwhelming favourite, Rybakina was broken straight off the bat as Kalinina established a two-game lead, but the Ukrainian soon began to falter as Rybakina broke back for 3-3.
The Wimbledon champion missed three chances for a 5-3 lead on Kalinina's serve in the eighth game, but she earned the double break in the 10th game - converting her second set point with a ferocious cross-court backhand.
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Kalinina was moving somewhat gingerly as she made her way to the chair following the first set, and the world number 47 was forced to call it quits after just five points in the second set.
The walkover win saw Rybakina scoop her fifth WTA singles crown and second of the year following her Indian Wells Masters triumph, and she offered some words of sympathy to Kalinina in her post-match press conference.
"Of course, happy with the title. Not the way I want to finish this match. It's been great, I think, results for Anhelina. She played some tough battles. Really happy for her improvement," Rybakina said.
"Hopefully she can continue like this. Pity she couldn't finish the match. I hope that it's nothing serious. So hopefully she can recover quick and she can continue like this.
"I'm proud that I can maintain this level. It's not easy, with all the scheduling, travelling. I think we're doing a good job with the team. I can see improvements on the court, physically also. I think we're on a right way."
Following the 23-year-old's win, Medvedev and Holger Rune will vie for glory in the men's singles final on Sunday afternoon.
Ben Knapton
