Konta pulls out of Connecticut Open with viral illness

British No 1 Johanna Konta has withdrawn from the Connecticut Open in New Haven due to a viral illness.

The 27-year-old, who beat Germanlaurasiegemund6-2, 7-5 on Monday, was scheduled to face Carla Suarez Navarro in the second round of the final warm-up event before the US Open but tournament organisers announced she had pulled out beforehand, giving her opponent a walkover win to the quarter-finals.

Earlier, world No 1 Simona Halep announced her withdrawal from the tournament citing an Achilles injury.

“I feel very sore and I need some rest. I had so many matches in the last two weeks, so it’s tough,” said the 26-yearold Romanian, who won the Rogers Cup in Montreal and reached the Cincinnati Masters final in the past fortnight.

The US Open gets under way on Monday.

Meanwhile, British No 1 Kyle Edmund has been named in Europe’s Laver Cup team, which will be spearheaded by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic.

A six-player team from Europe will face a rest of the world team in the second year of the competition on 21-23 September in Chicago. Alexander Zverev of Germany, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria and David Goffin of Belgium complete a Europe team coached by Bjorn Borg.

Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro and Diego Schwartzman, Americans John Isner and Jack Sock, Kevin Anderson of South Africa and Australian Nick Kyrgios will play on a World team coached by John Mcenroe.

Europe won the inaugural event last year.

0 Johanna Konta: Withdrew.