Maria Sharapova Retires In Rome Due To Illness

Written by: Staff on 17th May 2013

Maria Sharapova Retires In Rome Due To Illness

epa03703845 Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova returns the ball to Sloane Stephens from the USA during their third round match of the Italian Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome, Italy, 16 May 2013. EPA/CLAUDIO ONORATI |

French Open champion Maria Sharapova erred on the side of the caution as she retired from the Internazionali BNL d’Italia after falling ill overnight with Roland Garros about to start in little more than a week’s time.

The world no.2 maintained she first started feeling unwell during last week’s Mutua Madrid Open but she battled off the viral infection to reach the final where she lost to Serena Williams. During her Thursday evening’s win in Rome over Sloane Stephens she felt the illness return and then spent an uncomfortable night.

“I felt sick in Madrid and I managed to play through it but it came back during my match with Sloane and I think people could see my energy levels dropping,” said Sharapova who withdrew from her quarter final against Italy’s Sara Errani. “I did not feel very good at all. After feeling pretty bad all night, I just did not feel able to go out and compete today. With the French Open now being so close I did not think it was clever to take any risks.”

Sharapova reported she was running a temperature and the tournament doctor prescribed basic medication. “I just want to make sure it does not keep reoccurring so I have been told to take things very easy for a couple of days,” she said. “Right now I have no idea when I will be leaving Rome.

“There’s is always a lot of traveling involved in being a tennis player and sometimes your body is not really up to it. The important thing here for me is there is a far bigger goal around the corner.”

There has been a spate of withdrawals in Rome this week. In the men’s singles Janko Tipsarevic cited bronchitis. Philipp Kohlschreiber reported a case of vertigo, and Andreas Seppi also retired. Andy Murray quit mid-match with lower back problems. Maria Kirilenko retired from the women’s singles with a knee problem.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: French Open, Internazional BNL d'Italia, Maria Sharapova, Rome Masters, Sloane Stephens, Sports, Tennis News