Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Nasty fall can't stop Azarenka at Wimbledon

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, left, is attended to after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, left, is attended to after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, second from left, is attended to after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match with Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal, front right, at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, second from right, is helped up after taking a fall during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays a return to Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal during their Women's first round singles match at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus reacts during her Women's first round singles match against Maria Joao Koehler of Portugal at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday, June 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

(AP) ? When Victoria Azarenka's right knee gave way, she slid to the slippery turf and began sobbing.

A routine first-round match at Wimbledon turned into something more harrowing for the No. 2 seed from Belarus. She closed out her 6-1, 6-2 victory Monday over Maria Joao Koehler after tumbling near the baseline on Court 1 and injuring her right knee in the second game of the second set.

"I don't know what happened out there," Azarenka said. "I was just trying to stay in the moment and give the best I can. But it was definitely very emotional. I couldn't believe what happened. I was in such shock."

After a visit from the trainer that lasted about 10 minutes, Azarenka played the rest of the match with a heavy wrap on her right knee. She was limping noticeably and winced after several points.

But Koehler, making her Wimbledon debut, did not have the power or consistency to make Azarenka, the two-time Australian Open titlist, pay for her diminished mobility. Azarenka finished with 25 winners to 19 for Koehler and won the match easily despite struggling with her serve, finishing with nine double-faults.

Azarenka should get about 48 hours to recover before her next match. She said she wasn't sure about the extent of the injury.

"I was in such pain at the beginning, it wouldn't let go," she said. "I think it calmed down."

She said the teary reaction came from the shock as much as the pain.

Both Azarenka and Koehler slipped and slid near the baseline through the first set of the tournament on Court 1, which was still green and lush on a cool, humid day at the All England Club.

"We'll have to be more careful," said Azarenka, who has reached the semifinals at Wimbledon the last two years and also lost in the U.S. Open final to Serena Williams in 2012.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-24-TEN-Wimbledon-Azarenka/id-fed85cae98404810a085245e318f8d04

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