Ekaterina Alexandrova, the world number 19 and top seed, was forced to withdraw from her opening match at the Memphis Classic. The 31-year-old athlete collapsed on the court as temperatures soared to 34C. She required a wheelchair and immediate medical assistance after falling during her match against 16-year-old Kristina Liutova.
Before the collapse, the match had lasted over three hours with Alexandrova trailing 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 5-4. Officials had previously issued her a time violation as she struggled with the sweltering conditions. Although she could stand afterward, she had to forfeit, granting Liutova a victory in the teenager’s WTA tour debut.
In other professional tennis news, Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington DC. The 46-year-old fell 6-3 6-3 to Austria’s Anastasia Potapova, struggling significantly with her second serves and return points throughout the contest.
