KEY POINTS
- Amanda Anisimova retired early from her Qatar TotalEnergies Open match due to sickness.
- Third-seed Anisimova trailed Karolína Plíšková when she stopped playing.
- Other health-related retirements and notable wins marked the tournament’s opening rounds.
Defending champion Amanda Anisimova exited the Qatar TotalEnergies Open in Doha after retiring from her opening singles match.
The third seed cited illness as the reason for stopping her match on Monday.
Anisimova faced experienced Czech Karolína Plíšková in the Round of 32.
She won the first set 7-5 and dropped the second in a tiebreak.
Trailing 4-1 in the deciding set, Anisimova could not continue.
The American expressed disappointment but praised the competitive level of the match.
Plíšková, a former tournament winner, performed strongly after a lengthy injury layoff.
She served seven aces and saved multiple break points during the contest.
Her return to form continued as she advanced into the next round.
The Qatar event is part of the WTA 1000 circuit and attracts top women’s players.
Several notable results emerged in early rounds beside Anisimova’s retirement.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu also withdrew from her opening match for health reasons.
Raducanu received medical checks after struggling in prior competition.
Her exit underscored broader fitness concerns among competitors this week.
Mirra Andreeva, seeded fifth, recorded a straight-sets victory over Magda Linette.
Other players advanced smoothly in their Round of 64 matches.
Czech ninth seed Linda Noskova won her match in just over an hour.
Emma Navarro also advanced with a comfortable two-set win.
Katerina Siniakova upset former seeded player Clara Tauson.
Janice Tjen stunned Beatriz Haddad Maia to reach the next round.
Anna Kalinskaya and China’s Xinyu Wang also booked their spots.
Qatar Open organisers confirmed that outdoor hard courts host the WTA 1000 event in Doha.
The early rounds mix seasoned champions with rising stars.
Fans at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex saw spirited competition.
With Anisimova’s title defence ended, the draw opens up for contenders.
Later rounds promise high-stakes matches among top women pros.
