Monday, September 16, 2024

Berlin Open: Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova suffers injury scare, Ons Jabeur and Coco Gauff win – BBC Sport

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Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Vondrousova was on a eight-match winning streak on grass

Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova has suffered an injury scare less than a fortnight before her title defence is due to start.

The Czech slipped and fell when leading 5-3 in the first set of her second-round match against Anna Kalinskaya at the Berlin Open.

Vondrousova clutched her right hip and called for a medical time-out before retiring two games later, with the score at 5-5.

Wimbledon takes place from 1-14 July, with Vondrousova set to start her title defence on the second day

The 24-year-old became the first unseeded player to win the Wimbledon women’s singles title when she beat Ons Jabeur in the final.

Russia’s Kalinskaya will face world number three Aryna Sabalenka, who brushed aside Daria Kasatkina 6-1 6-4.

Eight of the world’s top 10 are competing in Berlin, with only top-ranked Iga Swiatek and world number seven Jasmine Paolini absent.

Jabeur fought back from a set down against Linda Noskova to set up a quarter-final match against Coco Gauff.

World number two Gauff beat Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (8-6) 6-2.

Gauff, 20, will make her Olympic debut in Paris after being announced in the US women’s singles team.

The American missed the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 after testing positive for Covid-19.

Third seed Elena Rybakina claimed a 6-4 7-5 victory over Veronika Kudermetova to set up a last-eight encounter with former world number one Victoria Azarenka.

At the Birmingham Classic, Britain’s Harriet Dart fell to a 6-3 6-4 defeat by Czech second seed Barbora Krejcikova.

Meanwhile, British number one Katie Boulter is guaranteed to secure a Wimbledon seeding after Elise Mertens, who sits one place behind Boulter in the rankings, retired injured against Caroline Dolehide.

Muchova to return at Eastbourne

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Muchova was ranked eighth in the world at the time of her injury

Former French Open finalist Karolina Muchova is set to return to action at next week’s Eastbourne International after 10 months out with a wrist injury.

Muchova had surgery in February after sustaining the injury during the US Open semi-finals in September.

The 27-year-old Czech, who is now 34th in the world rankings, says she wants to build match fitness in preparation for Wimbledon and the Olympic Games.

“At the end of this week, I’ll fly to Eastbourne with the team where we’ll finally try to play some matches in preparation ahead of Wimbledon,” Muchova told Canal+ Sport CZ.

“After Wimbledon I’ll return back to the clay, maybe play a tournament, or straight to the Olympics.”

Tennis at the Olympics starts on the clay courts of Roland Garros on 27 July.

Muchova is expected to play singles and partner Vondrousova in the women’s doubles at her first Olympics.

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