Illness Halts Rybakina in Berlin Quarterfinal Clash

Elena Rybakina retired from her Berlin quarterfinal match due to illness, trailing Victoria Azarenka 3-1 in the first set. Without waiting for a medical evaluation, she quickly left the court. The incident follows Marketa Vondrousova's leg injury withdrawal from the same tournament. Upcoming matches were rescheduled due to rain.

In a surprising turn of events at the Berlin Ladies Open, Elena Rybakina retired from her quarterfinal match against Victoria Azarenka on Friday due to an apparent illness. The 2022 Wimbledon champion was trailing 3-1 in the first set when a double fault at 15-15 prompted her to halt play.

Without seeking a medical evaluation, Rybakina sat on her bench with her hands to her face before jogging to the locker room after just 40 seconds. This marks the second high-profile withdrawal at the Berlin tournament, following Marketa Vondrousova's leg injury exit on Thursday.

The quarterfinal round saw additional interruptions, with rain causing the postponement of two matches to Saturday. Another former No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, is set to face either second-seeded Aryna Sabalenka or Anna Kalinskaya in the semifinals, while top-seeded Coco Gauff will take on Ons Jabeur.