Emma Raducanu withdrew from her ASB Classic second round match in tears after injuring her ankle just 11 days before the start of the Australian Open.
The 20-year-old Brit won the first set 6-0 against Slovakia Viktoria Kuzmova, but lost the second 7-5.
She received medical attention before the start of the third set, but signaled her retirement two points after her opening service game.
The match was played indoors due to persistent rain in Auckland.
Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, had an injury-plagued 2022 season and withdrew from five matches, but said she was no injuries and feeling “fine” after an exhibition game in December.
Started 2023 with victory over teenager Linda Fruhvirtova in their first match in New Zealand in preparation for the first major tournament of the season in Melbourne.
Elsewhere, Coco Gauff defeated fellow American and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin 6-4 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals in Auckland.
The 18-year-old number one seed will next play China’s Zhu Lin, who defeated seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams 3-6 6-2 7-5 in a rain-interrupted match that took to be moved to an indoor court.
Zhu won the last four games of the match when he came back from 5-3 in the deciding set. Williams served for the match at 5-4, but the Chinese World No.84 broke and saved four break points as she held serve to advance 6-5 before breaking serve again.
“It was really tough outside, it rained, it was windy. It was tennis, but it was more about surviving than playing well,” said Williams, who was awarded a wild card entry to the Australian Open.
“Inside it was completely different, but I was able to hit a lot of balls, so that’s important.”
At the Adelaide International, 18-year-old Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic set up a quarterfinal with two-time Australian Open winner of Belarus, Victoria Azarenka, 33. Noskova beat American Claire Liu 6-2 , 6-2, while Azarenka beat Chinese Zheng Qinwen 6-2 7-5.
Tunisian world number two Ons Jabeur also reached the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 win over Romanian Sorana Cirstea, while 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, was defeated 6-3, 6-0 by Romanian Irina-Camelia. Begu.
