Marketa Vondrousova retires during first set in Berlin in big injury scare ahead of Wimbledon title defence
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Updated 20/06/2024 at 20:12 GMT
Marketa Vondrousova's Wimbledon title defence has been cast into doubt after she suffered a nasty fall in her second-round match at the Berlin Ladies Open. The world No. 6 was leading 5-3 in the first set against Anna Kalisnkaya when she slipped on the baseline, immediately holding her right hip area. After receiving treatment and returning for two games, she decided to retire from the match.
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Defending Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was forced to retire from her second-round match against Anna Kalinskaya at the Berlin Ladies Open.
The world No. 6 was up 5-3 and serving for the first set when she had a nasty fall on the baseline, immediately holding her right hip area.
She received off-court medical treatment and returned with heavy strapping to play two games, before retiring with the set tied at 5-5.
The injury casts doubt on her title defence at Wimbledon, with under two weeks to recover.
As defending champion, Vondrousova is scheduled to play her first-round match at the All England Club on Centre Court on July 2.
The Czech was a surprise winner at Wimbledon last summer, beating Ons Jabeur in the final to claim her first Grand Slam.
Kalinskaya will now face Aryna Sabalenka in the quarter-finals in Germany.
Elsewhere on Thursday, 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina came from a break down in the second set to beat Veronika Kudermetova 6-4 7-5.
Rybakina, who advanced to her 10th quarter-final of the season, said after her win: "I think in the key moments I served a little bit better and some better decisions here and there. But it was a close match."
She next faces former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka on Friday, as she looks to make her first grass-court semi-final since her Wimbledon triumph.
Sabalenka sets up clash with Kalinskaya
Aryna Sabalenka once again triumphed over Daria Kasatkina in their ninth encounter, 6-1 6-4.
The Belarusian took full advantage of Kasatkina's comparatively weak serve on serve as she raced to a 5-0 lead in the first set.
After a dominant first set from Sabalenka, Kasatkina improved in the second, winning four games as she managed to maintain parity with the world No. 3.
But the 26-year-old managed to break the Russian's serve and tie up the second set 6-4.
Sabalenka now faces Kalinskaya in the next round.
American duo Gauff and Pegula both through to quarter-finals
American duo Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula booked their quarter-final places in Berlin on Thursday. The former will play Jabeur, while Pegula faces Katerina Siniakova.
Gauff beat Ekaterina Alexandrova in two sets 7-6(6) 6-2. The top seed saved three set points in a tense first set before breezing past the Russian in the second set.
Alexandrova forced a tie-break in the first set after coming from 4-2 down. At one point she was up 6-3 in the breaker after a double fault from Gauff, but failed to get another point and the American took a tight first set.
But Gauff emerged with much more confidence in the second, breaking Alexandrova twice en route to victory.
No. 4 seed Pegula defeated 2023 finalist Donna Vekic in straight sets, reaching her fifth quarter-final of 2024.
She beat Vekic 6-4 7-5 in and will now take on Siniakova on Friday.
Elsewhere, Jabeur beat Linda Noskova 6-7(5) 6-3 6-4. The Tunisian will face Gauff in the next round, having faced her in an absorbing contest at the French Open earlier this month in which the American triumphed.
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