Tsitsidosa withdraws from Wimbledon mixed doubles; Kontaveit caps career alongside Ruusuvuori
The Greek-Spanish couple pulled out after Paula Badosa confirmed Friday that her spinal stress fracture reemerged.
The chance to see Tsitsidosa come together on a match court will have to wait at least one more Grand Slam event.
Tennis’ newest couple Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas withdrew from the Wimbledon mixed doubles event, after the Spaniard retired from her second-round singles match down a set and a break to Marta Kostyuk.
Badosa, who’s been hampered by injuries all season long, shared in her press conference that a stress fracture in her spine has reemerged.
“I tried my best to try to play here, but yesterday when I woke up I already, after my first-round match, felt it again. It's a little bit worse,” the No. 29 seed said. “So I will need a few days off and talk to my team and see what I do in the next days and the next weeks.”
Tsitsipas later pulled out a five-set win over Andy Murray, eliminating the two-time title holder, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4, in four hours and 40 minutes. The Greek soon returned to the court to play his opening men's doubles match with brother Petros Tsitsipas.
Anna Danilina and Nicolas Mahut replaced Badosa and Tsitsipas as alternates to face top seeds Jessica Pegula and Austin Krajicek. Another girlfriend-boyfriend combination in the draw, Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur, dispatched Storm Hunter and John Peers, 6-2, 6-4.
Two-time defending champions Desirae Krawczyk and Neal Skupski, the No. 2 seeds, went out after failing to capitalize on one of their three match points. Xu Yifan and Joran Vliegen rallied to win, 4-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.
Anett Kontaveit, who played the final singles match of her career Thursday, will officially hang up her racquet after falling alongside Emil Ruusuvuori, The Estonian-Finish duo were beaten, 6-3, 6-4, by Yang Zhaoxuan and Kevin Krawietz.