Russian tennis player Ekaterina Alexandrova collapsed on court and retired from her first-round match at the Memphis Classic due to sweltering temperatures.
The world No 19 trailed 7-6(7-2) 4-6 5-4 in a match that lasted over three hours against 16-year-old compatriot Kristina Liutova and visibly struggled in 34C heat.
As she served to stay in the match at 5-4 she crouched to the ground between points, with a break in play followed by a time violation as she was unable to serve.
She collapsed midway through the next point and immediately received medical attention, and although she was able to stand, she retired two points from defeat after three hours and 11 minutes, and was helped off court in a wheelchair.
It was an eventful debut on the WTA Tour and first win at this level for Liutova, who was left in tears and was comforted by her team. The teenager won the prestigious Orange Bowl title, a major junior tournament, last year.
Alexandrova led 4-2 in the opening set and twice went a break up in the decider but was unable to hold onto her lead before the soaring temperatures put paid to her chances.
Liutova will face Maya Joint in the second round of the WTA 250 event in Tennessee.
Extreme heat has been a major issue on the tennis tour this year, with a heatwave sweeping through the first week of Wimbledon and Jannik Sinner’s French Open title bid ended by sweltering temperatures as his body failed to cope with the gruesome conditions of another heatwave in Paris. Temperatures also hit 46C at the Australian Open in January.-Independent
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