July 28th 2024.
Unfortunately, Ukrainian tennis star Anhelina Kalinina had to withdraw from the Paris Olympics on Sunday due to a sudden illness. Kalinina had been eagerly looking forward to her match against Arantxa Rus of Netherlands, but her plans were thwarted by a cold that she caught during the wet and chilly weather in the French capital.
The opening ceremony on Friday had already been a soggy affair, with athletes being paraded on boats along the River Seine in the pouring rain. The following day, when Kalinina was supposed to begin her campaign, the rain continued to pour, forcing the tennis events on open courts to be rescheduled for Sunday.
"It's unfortunate that yesterday we had to wait for a long time on the courts due to the delay in the start of the competition," Kalinina shared in a statement from the Ukrainian committee. "The rain didn't stop and this morning I woke up with a sore throat."
Kalinina, who was scheduled to make her Olympics debut, did not want to take any risks and potentially worsen her condition. "It was a big dream and honor for me to play at the Olympics and represent my country, especially during such a difficult time. But we decided not to take any chances and avoid any possible complications," she explained.
The plans for the tennis singles events were thrown into disarray with multiple withdrawals on Sunday. World No. 6 Alex De Minaur and Great Britain's Cameron Norrie were also forced to withdraw, adding to the disappointment of the day. Norrie, who was set to face Tallon Griekspoor, had to pull out due to an injury that he sustained.
This leaves Daniel Evans and Jack Draper as Team GB's remaining hopes for a medal in the men's singles competition. Four-time Olympic medalist Andy Murray will be competing in the doubles event with Evans on Sunday evening, giving the British team a chance to still make their mark in the tennis competition.
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