Porsche Tennis Grand Prix: Garbine Muguruza must also give up injured

After Angelique Kerber and the Czech Marketa Vondrousova, Wimbledon winner Garbine Muguruza had to give up her round of 16 at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix on Thursday evening. The second seeded Spaniard broke off the match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) at 5:7.

It was the third game in a row on the Centre Court that could not be finished. Muguruza cited problems in the lower back as the reason. “I felt it after the 1:1 above all at the race. I’m disappointed. I already noticed something at the Fed Cup last weekend. Nevertheless, this type of injury comes as a surprise,” said the 24-year-old.

Angelique Kerber had not been able to continue her game against Anett Kontaveit (Estonia) at 0:6, 0:2. The right thigh had been a problem for the world ranking twelfth.

Exactly the same injury had previously caused the qualifier Marketa Vondrousova to give up. Julia Görges defeated Elina Svitolina from Ukraine (No. 3) 6-2, 1-6, 2-3.

Among others, the two outsiders Pavlyuchenkova and Kontaveit will play against each other in the quarter-finals on Friday. French Open winner Elena Ostapenko (Latvia/No. 4) has to deal with Karolina Pliskova (Czech Republic/No. 5).

Industry leader Simona Halep (Romania/No. 1) meets Siegemund victor Coco Vandweghe (USA), while Svitolina competes with Caroline Garcia (France/No. 6).