Ash Barty has been forced to retire from her second-round match against Poland’s Magda Linette at the French Open because of a hip injury.
Key points:
- Barty was trailing 1-6, 2-2 against Linette when she was forced to retire
- The world number one had been troubled by a hip injury during her French Open campaign
- She took a medical timeout at the end of the first set after winning just one game
The world number one entered the match carrying the injury and was wearing strapping on her left thigh against Linette on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Barty found herself in trouble early in the first set when she faced three break points in her opening service game.
The 2019 French Open champion held serve but was then twice broken by the 45th-ranked Linette, who did not drop a service game on her way to wrapping up the first set 6-1 in just 26 minutes.
Barty left the court for a medical timeout ahead of the second set but chose to abandon the match with the score level at 2-2.
The Australian had not looked comfortable in her first-round match when she needed treatment for the hip injury against American Bernarda Pera.
She eventually prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 and admitted after the match she was not fully fit.
Against Linette, Barty’s movement was nowhere near as fluent as usual.
She visibly winced during the sixth game as she tried to stretch to reach a half volley and there was little power on her usually dynamic serve.
By the end of the first set, Barty was already reduced to trying to keep the rallies as short as possible.
The errors kept flying from her racquet and she posted 14 in all in the opening set.
By the time Linette produced a drop shot at 5-1 up, Barty could hardly even run for the ball.
She stayed on court for a while after losing the first set, speaking to the doctor before going off for some lengthy treatment.
When she returned, her serve improved and, briefly, she looked as if she might be up for the fight.
Yet once Linette had won the fourth game, Barty had no more to give and looked a picture of despondency as she went to the net to shake hands with the Pole.
Barty was making her first appearance at Roland Garros since her victory in the French Open final two years ago.
She chose not play in Paris last year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this evening (AEST), Barty’s countrywoman Astra Sharma exited the tournament in the second round.
Sharma lost 6-2, 6-4 to 25th seed Ons Jabeur of Tunisia in just over an hour.
Jabeur will play Linette in the third round.
ABC/AAP
