Muguruza was leading 6-3, 1-0 when Williams called it a day in the battle of former World No. 1's because of a viral illness
Serena Williams before retiring due to a medical issue. Pic/AFP
Serena Williams's first tournament since the Australian Open came to an abrupt end on Sunday as the ailing 23-time Grand Slam champion retired from her third-round WTA match against Garbine Muguruza at Indian Wells.
Muguruza was leading 6-3, 1-0 when Williams called it a day in the battle of former World No. 1's because of a viral illness. "Before the match, I did not feel great, and then it just got worse with every second; extreme dizziness and extreme fatigue," Williams said in comments released via tournament organisers.
ADVERTISEMENT
The 10th-seeded American, continuing to work her way back up the rankings in the wake of time off to have a baby, had made a strong start, winning the first three games.
But she called for the trainer after dropping six straight. After a long talk with medical personnel, Williams took to the court for the second set, but after Muguruza held serve at love, Williams called a halt. "By the score, it might have looked like I started well, but I was not feeling at all well physically," Williams said.
Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever