Agency :
British No 1 Johanna Konta was forced to retire injured during her first-round match at the Australian Open.
The British No 1 won the first set 6-4 but was forced to concede the match after falling 2-0 behind in the second.
Konta appeared to sustain or exacerbate the injury when she stretched for a smash towards the end of the opening set, and required an on-court medical time-out to get treatment on her abdomen.
The 13th seed then left the court for treatment at the end of the set, and swiftly decided not to continue after losing her opening service game of the second set to love.
It was a further setback for Konta, who endured a difficult 2020 season due to ongoing issues with a knee injury.
Having recently reunited with her former coach Dimitri Zavialoff, hopes were high that the 29-year-old would be able to get her new campaign off to an encouraging start.
And she appeared to have been granted the ideal opportunity against an opponent ranked 104 in the world who has never made it beyond the second round of a Grand Slam.
But after making a good start the 13th seed’s hopes were evidently hampered, and two games without winning a point convinced her to call time on her challenge.
Heather Watson scored a repeat victory over Kristyna Pliskova as she put her difficult quarantine experience behind her.
The British No 2 was one of the 72 players who had to stay in their hotel rooms for 14 days and she admitted it was the worst preparation she has ever had for a Grand Slam.
British No 1 Johanna Konta was forced to retire injured during her first-round match at the Australian Open.
The British No 1 won the first set 6-4 but was forced to concede the match after falling 2-0 behind in the second.
Konta appeared to sustain or exacerbate the injury when she stretched for a smash towards the end of the opening set, and required an on-court medical time-out to get treatment on her abdomen.
The 13th seed then left the court for treatment at the end of the set, and swiftly decided not to continue after losing her opening service game of the second set to love.
It was a further setback for Konta, who endured a difficult 2020 season due to ongoing issues with a knee injury.
Having recently reunited with her former coach Dimitri Zavialoff, hopes were high that the 29-year-old would be able to get her new campaign off to an encouraging start.
And she appeared to have been granted the ideal opportunity against an opponent ranked 104 in the world who has never made it beyond the second round of a Grand Slam.
But after making a good start the 13th seed’s hopes were evidently hampered, and two games without winning a point convinced her to call time on her challenge.
Heather Watson scored a repeat victory over Kristyna Pliskova as she put her difficult quarantine experience behind her.
The British No 2 was one of the 72 players who had to stay in their hotel rooms for 14 days and she admitted it was the worst preparation she has ever had for a Grand Slam.
