Zheng Jie and Victoria Azarenka retire from their fourth-round matches

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Wilson Blade 9

Out of four matches played to wrap up the fourth round of the Australian Open, two were finished with players retiring. To my great disappointment, Zheng Jie and Victoria Azarenka had to give up their fight for the quarterfinal spot because of health problems.

The No.22 seed Zheng sprained her left wrist and was forced to retire trailing 4-1 in the first set against eighth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

As for Azarenka, No.13 seed, she won the first set against seed No.2 Serena Williams 6-3. In the second set, trailing Williams 4-2, Azarenka was visibly suffering under the hot conditions, and with tears in her eyes retired from the match due to dizziness and gastrointestinal illness.

In the other two matches, Dementieva, the fourth seed, remained undefeated in 2009, crushing No.18 seed Dominika Cibulkova 6-2 6-2, while Carla Suarez Navarro won an all-Spanish encounter against No.21 seed Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3 6-2. Suarez Navarro upset one of the favorites for the title Venus Williams in the second round, coming back from 5-2 down in the third set and saving match points to win the match.

American Serena Williams will meet Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals, and is 4-1 against the Russian, while Dementieva will play Suarez Navarro for the first time in her career.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Vika was playing sooooo good today! She wasn’t getting overpowered by Serena at all and was hitting amazing winners off her backhand…. kinda reminded me of when I first fell in love with Jankovic’s backhand 😛 She’s become one of my favourite players now! It was kinda distressing to see her wobbling all over the service line, I hope she gets better soon.

  2. She was very good, I though she would pull off an upset. I went to sleep somewhere at the beginning of the second set, when Azarenka was still doing well, and I woke up to the news that she had to retire. It was a shock and big disappointment.

  3. I watched Azarenka’s match and it’s a pity she has to pulled out that way. But at the same time I’m happy for Serena becoz I’m rooting for a semifinal match between Elena and her.

  4. Now that Azarenka has her head straight, thanks to her win in Brisbane, I now consider her the elite of her peers. Very tough luck in the AO round of 16 (tough luck for viewers, too), but this could be the year of Azarenka.

  5. It was painful to watch Azarenka barely walking on the court, I almost had to switch the channel. She could have defeated Williams, and was close to being 2-0 up in the second set. What a waste she had to finish the match like that. Well, the stronger/healthier one always survives.

  6. as you know, marija, serena is my favourite, and i hate to say it, but victoria played so fantasticly, and serena not so great.

    sometimes you can tell when serena isnt 100%
    she seems lazy, no footwork, and her serve.

    haha, marija! swearing doesnt help does it!!!!

    great post

  7. Yeah, Serena was bad, especially compared to Victoria. Actually, Serena hasn’t impressed one time at this Australian Open.

    Thanks, Jacob.

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