Former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina withdrew from Friday's Berlin WTA tournament while trailing in her quarterfinal match against Victoria Azarenka. Rybakina, the third seed, found herself struggling and down 1-3 in the first set before deciding to retire at 15-all during her service game.
This withdrawal is not the first recent setback for Rybakina. She previously pulled out of the Rome tournament last month due to illness just before the quarterfinals, right ahead of the French Open. The 2022 Wimbledon champion has faced a series of challenges this season.
Rybakina, a 25-year-old player born in Russia but representing Kazakhstan, also faced an unexpected defeat at Roland Garros. She was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Italian player Jasmine Paolini. As she aims to regain her form, Rybakina's focus will now shift to recovering in time for Wimbledon, which begins on July 1. Last year, she reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon before losing to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur.
Meanwhile, Victoria Azarenka, the former world number one, advanced to the semifinals in Berlin and will face either her fellow Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, the second seed, or Russia's Anna Kalinskaya. Additionally, reigning Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova had to retire due to injury from her second-round match against Kalinskaya on Thursday, adding to the list of top players facing difficulties in the Berlin grass-court event.
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