It was supposed to be a normal second-round game at the Rome Masters. But instead, it became one of Katerina Siniakova’s worst losses of the season and culminated in the Czech player throwing her racket down in despair and incurring a fine from the WTA. Anna Kalinskaya, the 22nd seed, saved nine match points in an incredible three hours and 29 minutes to defeat doubles world No. 1 4-6, 7-6(4), 7-5 at the Italian Open.

Siniakova had five match points in the second set before dropping the tiebreak 7-4 and four more in the third set when she was serving for the match. Every time, the Russian managed to make it through. The match went downhill after the eighth match point was saved by Kalinskaya, after a 12-shot rally. In the third deuce of the tenth game of the deciding set, Siniakova couldn’t get through to a return and turned around and threw her racket at the advertising boards behind her.

Sky Sports commentator Jonathan Overend did not miss the moment. “Oh wow, oh wow,” he said on air. “Siniakova was driving balls against the backboards in frustration; now she’s flinging the racket.” After watching a replay, he added: “Oh, you’ve gotta be so, so careful there. If that had skewed off that advertising board and hit the ball kid, that would have been Siniakova out, having had eight match points; she’s lucky.”

Fortunately, the racket didn’t hit anyone. However, she might not be as fortunate with the WTA’s reaction. Players are often fined for unsportsmanlike conduct after being called for a code violation, and a code violation was called by the chair umpire during the match. Siniakova picked her racket back up and continued playing, saving the subsequent break point and forcing yet another match point. Nevertheless, she was unable to convert. The 22nd seed finished off the match by winning the final three games to complete a comeback that will be discussed for some time.

This wasn’t the first time this season Siniakova has been in the middle of a racket-related incident. During an Indian Wells match earlier this year, Mirra Andreeva tossed her racket across the court and then broke it on the ground next to her bench, which resulted in a code violation. The 29-year-old was on the receiving end of that one. The roles were reversed in Rome, but she did not do anything as destructive.

Kalinskaya now faces Belinda Bencic in the third round, with the Swiss player having beaten Bianca Andreescu 6-4, 6-1 to set up the meeting.

Katerina Siniakova’s knee raises concerns ahead of Roland Garros

The reaction was bad enough on its own, but it was even worse when you consider the circumstances of Katerina Siniakova’s physical state. She was able to play the full length of the almost three-and-a-half-hour contest with a heavily strapped right knee, having tweaked it in the Madrid Open doubles final less than a week ago with Taylor Townsend. It was already a tall task for a player whose movement and footwork are at the core of her game to complete a game of that length on an injured knee.

Siniakova is already one of the most decorated doubles players in the history of the game, having won 11 Grand Slam doubles and mixed doubles titles. She is ranked at 39 on the singles list, but being able to play at a high level on both fronts in the same week is a different challenge.

The concern now is how the injury will look when it comes to Roland Garros on May 24. She came to Rome with her knee strapped and had not had the chance to get completely better from Madrid before stepping onto the Foro Italico clay. A loss that extends nearly three and a half hours would have done little to help. Nine match points, three sets, and hours of competitive tennis on a bad knee are nothing.

Siniakova has historically excelled in doubles at Roland Garros, but whether she will be 100 percent fit for two draws there is an open question. The racket throw and nine unconverted match points will be the story for now. However, the knee is the key detail to look at going forward.