British star Emma Raducanu wiped away tears after being forced to retire from her second round match at the ASB Classic.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Playing at the Auckland tournament for the first time, the 2021 US Open champion was dominant as she took the first set 6-0 against Slovakia's Viktoria Kuzmova.
But midway through the second set of the match, being played indoors due to ongoing rain, Raducanu appeared to turn on her left ankle and Kuzmova went on to level the contest 7-5.
While the young Brit received treatment and strapping before the third and deciding set, after one point she slumped over in pain and withdrew.
The news was better for top seed Coco Gauff.
The world No 7 produced a clincal performance to book her place in the quarterfinals with a 6-4 6-4 win over Sofia Kenin.
Gauff would play China's Lin Zhu in the last eight, after the Chinese player showed her fighting qualities to outlast American veteran Venus Williams.
Starting on centre court, but finishing inside after rain returned midway through the second set, the match went right down to the wire.
Williams mustered all she could in the third and gained the upper hand and earned the chance to serve the match out at 5-4.
But it was an opportunity she couldn't take as Zhu bagged a crucial break, before also winning the next two games to go through to the quarterfinals.
The other standout name alongside Gauff in the quarterfinals would be third seed Leylah Fernandez.
The young Canadian again looked on song in cruising to a 6-0 6-1 win over Austrian Julia Grabher in the last match of the night.
Fernandez will play in the last eight against Belgian qualifier Ysaline Bonaventure, who came from behind for a 3-6 6-3 6-3 win over Canadian eighth seed Rebecca Marino.
Elsewhere, Montenegro's Danka Kovinich battled past American Lauren Davis 4-6 6-3 6-2, while young Spaniard Rebeka Masarova continued her impressive run with a 6-1 6-4 win over Anna Blinkova of Russia.
Masarova was set for a quarterfinal against Karolina Muchova, who beat Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4 6-1.
- RNZ
