The duel between #45 Anhelina Kalinina and #443 Eugenie Bouchard in the first round of Cluj-Napoca WTA 250, in Romania, this Tuesday (11), lasted much less than the dispute over the court indicated. After a disputed first set, won by the Ukrainian by 6/3, the former top 5 ended up giving up due to physical problems.

The first set started hard, with both suffering on serve. nine Gamesonly two did not have breaking points – the first, in Bouchard’s bag, and the eighth, in Kalinina’s. Despite a very balanced start, the Ukrainian opened 3/1 after saving six breaking points and confirm the withdrawal in a Game 17 minutes.

In the sequence, Bouchard managed to convert his chance and tied the game in sixth Game. Serving to take the lead on the scoreboard, the Canadian again broke and destabilized. Kalinina won ten of the last 11 points in the set and made it 6/3.

After the first set, Bouchard, who had a lot of thigh bandages, sought medical attention and eventually gave up. The Canadian has only played her fifth tournament in 2022, having been out of the circuit for more than 16 months due to shoulder surgery and had appeared in campaigns and competitive matches in recent weeks, including a quarter-final at the WTA 250 in Chennai. ., in India.

Kalinina, meanwhile, emerges victorious in her first match since the US Open, when she eventually forfeited before taking to the court for the second-round duel against Petra Kvitova. His last departure dates back to August 30.

“I didn’t know it would end like this, the match was very intense. I didn’t even know if I was going to make it. I lost the whole month of September. I enjoy being on the pitch, without too many expectations. Until today, in long matches, I wanted to stay focused and enjoy“, said the Ukrainian.

And after

In the second phase of Transylvania Open,Kalinina faces the qualifier #126 Ysaline Bonaventurewho reached #103 Varvara Gracheva to the first. Bouchard, on the other hand, hopes that the physical problem is not serious to compete in the qualification of the WTA 100 in Guadalajara next week.