Elena Rybakina mysteriously signals to chair umpire after frosty net exchange with Jelena Ostapenko in Italian Open SF
The Italian Open semifinal between Elena Rybakina and Jelena Ostapenko took a dramatic turn when Rybakina inexplicably signaled to the chair umpire after the pair exchanged a frosty handshake at the net.
Rybakina advanced to her third WTA 1000 final of the season by defeating Ostapenko 6-2, 6-4 in the semifinals in Rome. The Kazakh broke Ostapenko's serve twice early in the first set to take an unassailable lead. She then rallied from a 1-4 deficit in the second set to level her head-to-head against the Latvian at 2-2.
After a quick handshake at the net following match point, the pair seemed to exchange a few words. Elena Rybakina then spoke to the chair umpire and pointed towards Jelena Ostapenko, seemingly asking the umpire to talk to the World No. 20.
Interesting handshake between Elena Rybakina & Jelena Ostapenko in Rome
It looks like Elena told the umpire to tell Jelena something.
I’d love to know what this is all about 🌶 https://t.co/orr5tnH3kD
Elena Rybakina's victory guarantees that she will break into the top five of the WTA rankings on Monday, May 22. Should she win the title in Rome, the 23-year-old will secure a top-four seeding at the upcoming French Open.
"We have a good relationship" - Elena Rybakina on Italian Open final opponent Anhelina Kalinina
Elena Rybakina will take on Anhelina Kalinina in the Italian Open final on Saturday, May 20. Kalinina advanced to the final in Rome by defeating Veronika Kudermetova 7-5, 5-7, 6-2. This will mark the Ukrainian's maiden appearance in a WTA 1000 final.
Rybakina expressed happiness about the prospect of taking on Kalinina in the title clash. She shed light on their "good relationship" with the 26-year-old, sharing that they always cheer on each other's success.
"Actually she used to work with my coach. We just have a good relationship. I'm always cheering for her also. Same, whenever I win, she's always supporting. We have a good relationship. I'm happy that we're going to play a final," Rybakina said in her post-match interview.
Rybakina also stated that she was glad to reach the final in Rome after coming into the tournament without any expectations given her previous record there.
"I came without any expectation because I knew the other years were really tough for me coming and play here," Rybakina said. "Maybe for some people, rain is not good. I guess for my allergies it went the other way. It's helping me a bit to feel better here.
The 23-year-old further expressed satisfaction at getting matches under her belt ahead of the 2023 French Open.
"I'm just happy that I got so many matches now before French Open," she added.