Tensions flare at the Foro Italico as Jelena Ostapenko and Anna Kalinskaya skip the post-match handshake, reigniting their icy rivalry from Dubai earlier this season.
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Tension in the air at the Foro Italico.
While the absence of a handshake has become frequent since the start of the war in Ukraine, with Ukrainian players refusing to greet Russians, it is much rarer to witness such a situation between two players with no apparent conflict.
Ostapenko and Kalinskaya ignore each other
Yet in Rome, Jelena Ostapenko and Anna Kalinskaya left the court without exchanging a handshake after their fourth-round match.
Swept aside 6-1, 6-2 in 1 hour 10 minutes, the Russian headed straight to the chair umpire after match point, followed a few seconds later by the Latvian.
A precedent between the two players this year
The reason for this lack of handshake reportedly dates back to their clash in Dubai earlier this season.
That day, Kalinskaya won in three sets (2-6, 6-1, 6-4), securing a fourth consecutive victory over the former Roland Garros champion.
But the handshake between the two players was particularly icy, with Ostapenko having exchanged some harsh words with her opponent’s camp during the match.
Since that episode, relations between the two players appear to remain as tense as ever.
Edited