Sevastova Forced to Retire Due to Injury in WTA Quarterfinals against Šmidlova

The former Latvian tennis leader, who is ranked 485th in the WTA, was leading in the match with the Slovakian (WTA 76th) with 6-4, 2-1 and more in the fourth game, when she injured her knee and was unable to continue the match after receiving medical assistance.

In the first set, which the Slovakian opened with a serve, Sevastova went 3-0 up, but gave her opponent four break points in the longest fourth game of the match, as Šmidlova fought back and later took the lead 4-3.

Sevastova won the next three games, celebrating her victory in the first set.

The Slovakian also started the second set with a serve. Sevastova reached 2-1 with the second of two break points in a row, but in the next game the result was more in Sevastova’s favor, so she could not continue the game.

For reaching the quarterfinals, Sevastova earned 54 world ranking points.

Sevastova met Šmīdlovu four times from 2013 to 2019, and the Latvian tennis player celebrated the victory in all four matches.

In the first match of the tournament, Latvian tennis player Sevastova beat Argentinian Hulia Riera (WTA 116th) 6-4, 6-3, and in the second round, she beat the second seed of the competition Slouna Stevens (WTA 40th) 6-3, 6-2.

Shmidlova beat American Peyton Stearns (WTA No. 61) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 and defeated American Sasha Vickery (WTA) 5-7, 7-6 (7:5), 7-5 134.).

In the semifinals, Šmidlova will meet the Chinese Yuan Yui (WTA 68), who defeated Wang Yafan (WTA 69) 6-3, 7-5.

It has already been announced that the second racket of Latvian tennis, Darja Semenistaja, did not overcome the second round of the Austin “WTA 250” series tournament on Thursday.

Semenistaja, the owner of the 115th position in the world ranking, playing for the first time in her career in the match of the second round of the “WTA 250” tournament, lost 1-6, 2-6 to the sixth-ranked Chinese Wang Xiyu (WTA 64).

Semenistaya earned 30 world ranking points for the victory in the first round match.

The tournament in Austin, which takes place on hard courts, will end on March 3.