The Danish tennis player Clara Tauson is ready for the third round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome.
After sitting out the first round, Tauson clawed her way past American Katie Volynets, who retired as Tauson closed in on winning the second set.
Volynets, ranked 66th in the world, had been receiving treatment for an arm injury, when she withdrew as the Dane led 7-5, 4-1.
For a long time it had been a very even match, and the American was close to winning the first set, before Tauson tipped the match in her own favor.
The beginning of the match was characterized by long, close games, and it thus took 34 minutes to complete the first four games.
Tauson broke in the first game, but it quickly devolved into high-risk tennis, alternating back and forth between winners and unforced errors.
Volynets turned 0-2 to 5-3 and was close to taking the first set, when Tauson started to string a number of great points together.
The Dane broke back to 4-5 and used her resurgent momentum to also break to 6-5.
Tauson struggled to close out the set, but down with a break ball, Tauson raised her game to seal the first set after a full 78 minutes.
Tauson maintained the lead from the start of the second set, where a net roller set up break points, of which the Dane took advantage of the first one with a big forehand winner.
In the following game, Tauson was down three break balls, but again managed to recover to win the game and make it 2-0.
However, Volynets was in pain and subsequently received treatment for an injury to her left arm.
The American was able to continue but looked hampered as Tauson came close to winning by breaking Volynets' game again to make it 4-1.
In the next game, the American saw no reason to continue.