Serena bows out of WTA match with viral illness

Serena Williams’s first tournament since the Australian Open came to an abrupt end on Sunday as the ailing 23-time Grand Slam champion retired from her third-round WTA match against Garbine Muguruza at Indian Wells.

Muguruza was leading 6-3 1-0 when Williams called it a day in the battle of former world No 1s because of a viral illness.

The 10th-seeded American, continuing to work her way back up the rankings in the wake of time off to have a baby, had made a strong start, winning the first three games.

But after Muguruza held serve at love in the second set, Williams called a halt.

“By the score, it might have looked like I started well, but I was not feeling at all well physically,” Williams said.

“I will focus on getting better and preparing for Miami.”

It was a tough draw for Williams, who defeated former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka in her second-round opener.

Muguruza was sorry to see it end the way it did.

“We’ve played many times and it’s always super-tough, super-exciting,” she said.

She advanced to a fourthround clash with seventh seed Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, a 7-6 (12/10) 6-4 winner over Britain’s Johanna Konta.

Serving for the match, Bertens saved one break point and let two match points slide by before she reached the round of 16 for the first time at Indian Wells when Konta sent a forehand wide.

World No 2 Simona Halep had her hands full with Ukrainian qualifier Kateryna Kozlova but managed a 7-6 (7/3) 7-5 victory in her first meeting with the 114th-ranked player.

“It was really difficult against her because I have never played against her – it was a bit difficult to get a rhythm,” Halep said.

“It was difficult for me to close those sets, but I’m actually proud that I could do that.”

Halep next faces 61stranked Czech Marketa Vondrousova, who followed up her win over 2018 finalist Daria Kasatkina with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win over 22nd seed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia.

Sixth-seeded Elina Svitolina also advanced, holding off Australian Daria Gavrilova 7-5 6-4.