Sharapova knocked out amid injury exodus
Source: AFP |
June 27, 2013, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER Wimbledon champion and third seed Maria Sharapova was knocked out of the tournament in the second round by Portuguese qualifier Michelle Larcher De Brito on a dramatic day in London yesterday when injuries led seven players, including women's second seed Victoria Azarenka, to pull out.
The tall Russian, the 2004 champion, was scheduled on Court 2 and never looked happy against a tenacious opponent ranked 131 in the world, losing 3-6, 4-6 to leave the women's draw in tatters after the earlier withdrawal of Azarenka.
Wimbledon's famed grass courts were at the center of a safety storm after Steve Darcis, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Yaroslava Shvedova, John Isner, Radek Stepanek and Marin Cilic joined Azarenka in pulling out.
World No. 2 and Australian Open champion Azarenka withdrew just minutes before she was due on Centre Court to face Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta for a place in the third round.
A right knee injury, suffered in a fall during her first round win over Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal on Monday which left her in tears and requiring 10 minutes of treatment, put paid to her hopes after an MRI scan showed extensive bruising.
Her fall happened on Court 1, the same arena where Darcis knocked out Nadal.
Belgian Darcis, the world No. 135, also took a painful tumble, causing the right shoulder injury which forced him to withdraw against Poland's Lukasz Kubot.
"The court was not in a very good condition that day. My opponent fell twice; I fell badly; there were some other people who fell after," said Belarus' Azarenka, a semifinalist in the last two years.
Frenchman Tsonga, 28, was trailing Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 3-6, 3-6 when the sixth seed quit due to a knee injury.
Just moments before Tsonga's retirement, Kazakhstan's Shvedova withdrew from her clash with 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, the eighth-seeded Czech, with a right arm injury.
American Isner, famous for winning the longest match in history at Wimbledon in 2010, pulled out after just two games of his second-round tie against France's Adrian Mannarino.
Croatian 10th seed Cilic joined the list of walking wounded when he withdrew with a left knee injury before facing France's Kenny de Schepper.
Czech veteran Radek Stepanek was also struck down by injury. At 2-6, 3-5 down to Polish 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, he quit with a left hamstring injury.
Three other former top-ranked players were ousted.
Ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark lost 3-6, 3-6 to Czech Petra Cetkovska.
Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic was knocked out by Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, the reigning Wimbledon girls' champion. The 12th seeded Serb was beaten 3-6, 3-6 by the 19-year-old.
2002 winner Lleyton Hewitt of Australia was dumped by German qualifier Dustin Brown, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6.
The tall Russian, the 2004 champion, was scheduled on Court 2 and never looked happy against a tenacious opponent ranked 131 in the world, losing 3-6, 4-6 to leave the women's draw in tatters after the earlier withdrawal of Azarenka.
Wimbledon's famed grass courts were at the center of a safety storm after Steve Darcis, the conqueror of Rafael Nadal, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Yaroslava Shvedova, John Isner, Radek Stepanek and Marin Cilic joined Azarenka in pulling out.
World No. 2 and Australian Open champion Azarenka withdrew just minutes before she was due on Centre Court to face Italian veteran Flavia Pennetta for a place in the third round.
A right knee injury, suffered in a fall during her first round win over Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal on Monday which left her in tears and requiring 10 minutes of treatment, put paid to her hopes after an MRI scan showed extensive bruising.
Her fall happened on Court 1, the same arena where Darcis knocked out Nadal.
Belgian Darcis, the world No. 135, also took a painful tumble, causing the right shoulder injury which forced him to withdraw against Poland's Lukasz Kubot.
"The court was not in a very good condition that day. My opponent fell twice; I fell badly; there were some other people who fell after," said Belarus' Azarenka, a semifinalist in the last two years.
Frenchman Tsonga, 28, was trailing Latvia's Ernests Gulbis 6-3, 3-6, 3-6 when the sixth seed quit due to a knee injury.
Just moments before Tsonga's retirement, Kazakhstan's Shvedova withdrew from her clash with 2011 champion Petra Kvitova, the eighth-seeded Czech, with a right arm injury.
American Isner, famous for winning the longest match in history at Wimbledon in 2010, pulled out after just two games of his second-round tie against France's Adrian Mannarino.
Croatian 10th seed Cilic joined the list of walking wounded when he withdrew with a left knee injury before facing France's Kenny de Schepper.
Czech veteran Radek Stepanek was also struck down by injury. At 2-6, 3-5 down to Polish 24th seed Jerzy Janowicz, he quit with a left hamstring injury.
Three other former top-ranked players were ousted.
Ninth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark lost 3-6, 3-6 to Czech Petra Cetkovska.
Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic was knocked out by Canada's Eugenie Bouchard, the reigning Wimbledon girls' champion. The 12th seeded Serb was beaten 3-6, 3-6 by the 19-year-old.
2002 winner Lleyton Hewitt of Australia was dumped by German qualifier Dustin Brown, 4-6, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 2-6.
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