She clipped the bar, which wobbled hard before settling back, to McCartney's delight. By this point Stefanidi was looking formidable.
At 4.85m, McCartney clipped the bar with a leg and this time there would be no reprieve from the forces of physics. Silva also missed all three cracks at 4.85m, leaving Stefanidi last woman standing.
The meet record stands at 5.03m, also by Isinbaeva, but it was beyond the gifted 27-year-old Greek.
McCartney's year has begun well. At the Auckland track challenge in February, she lifted her national record, and personal best, out to 4.82m. At that early point, it was the best leap of the year worldwide. Only Stefanidi and American Sandi Morris - the Rio silver medallist who had a poor night in Rome - have gone higher this year. McCartney will line up in the next DL meet, the Bislett Games, in Oslo, starting on Thursday night.
"I was getting really tired in the last couple of jumps. I had lost a bit of energy because I'd done so many. In a fresher position I'd definitely have a good crack at it."
"That's very good,'' coach Jeremy McColl said of McCartney's performance.
''That's the highest she's ever opened her season with so we're very happy with that.'' He was confident she had a strong performance in her today ''but it was a bit tough with the travel so it's a pretty good opener.''
When the bar took a significant wobble on the 20-year-old's third and final attempt at 4.75m McColl admitted the odd nervous jitter.
''But that's part of pole vault. She's never had that before, the bar staying in. The jump itself wasn't that bad.''
He confirmed McCartney competed off her shorter 10-step approach today, mainly due to the travel and settling into the European campaign where the main focus is on the world championships to be held in London in August. He was delighted with the result considering it was one of the first competitions McCartney's had where she had to fight hard for a podium finish.
The pair travel to Oslo for the Bislett Games, the next leg on the Diamond League on Wednesday.
"I was really happy the way I jumped," McCartney said. "With each jump I achieved what I was working on and the height was good so overall I was really happy."
She started very low at 4.40m simply to work her way into the competition.
"Just taking it easy. I'm still working on things but how I approached each jump I was really and couldn't have asked for more."
McCartney admitted to surprise when the bar stayed on after she gave it a decent nudge with her last jump at 4.75m.
"That never happens to me. When the bar looks like it's going to fall off it always does," she laughed.
"Technically it wasn't too bad so I'm happy to be back up at those heights again."
She doesn't like talking specific height targets, but believes she can get over 4.85m "pretty soon".
