World number 19 , Ekaterina Alexandrova, collapsed on the court and had to withdraw from her opening round at the Memphis Classic owing to extreme heat, Yankee Scores reports.
Alexandrova, the top-seeded player, was losing 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 5-4 against Kristina Liutova of Russia, who is a 16-year-old in a match that saw temperature rise to 34C, per BBC Sport.
There was a halt in the match as Alexandrova attempted to go on while getting a time violation because it took too much time for her to serve.
However, Alexandrova collapsed in the middle of the point and required instant medical care.
The 31-year-old could not proceed with the game as she was able to stand. She withdrew from the three-hour match, giving Liutova a victory in her first game on the WTA tour.
However, the teenager broke down on court amid the mess.
In other women’s tennis news, Venus Williams lost in the opening round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington DC on Tuesday.
The 46-year-old player, who secured her singles win last year in this tournament, lost 6-3 6-3 to Anastasia Potapova of Austria.
Williams won 78.4% of her first serve points but 24.1% from her second serve points and 20% of her return points.
