Fighting Spirit from Eva Lys Against Rybakina
Eva Lys delivered a spirited performance despite falling short against world No. 11 and former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina in the women’s Round of 64. The 23-year-old from Hamburg made an aggressive start, securing an early break in the first set. However, Rybakina’s consistency and power saw her claw back to force a tie-break, which she won 7-6 (7-3).
Lys continued to fight in the second set, showcasing flashes of her trademark backhand, but Rybakina’s heavy baseline hitting proved decisive. The Kazakh closed out the match 6-2 in the second set after 1 hour and 40 minutes of play
Despite the loss, Lys drew praise from coaches and fans for her tenacity. “She kept the match tight for a long time,” noted one observer. “But once Rybakina took control in the first-set tiebreak, she didn’t let go.”
Lys can take heart from her performance in Rome. Facing one of the tour’s most dangerous players, she demonstrated her continued development and showed she can compete at the highest level. While Rybakina’s experience ultimately tipped the scales, Lys exited with her head held high.
