Wimbledon champ Petra Kvitova ill, withdraws from Eastbourne
Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova pulled out of the Eastbourne grass-court tournament on Monday because of illness, disrupting her preparations for the defense of her title at the All England Club starting next week.
"I didn't need antibiotics, so that's a good sign," Kvitova said, when asked if she expected to be healthy for Wimbledon. "But I have to be in bed and drink hot tea ... just lying and resting."
The second-ranked Kvitova will head to Wimbledon without any tournament matches on grass. She used Eastbourne as a warmup event in both years she won the Wimbledon title -- in 2011 and '14.
"Of course I wanted to play some matches here, but it doesn't really make sense to play and not be ready for Wimbledon. Maybe getting more ill than I am now," Kvitova said.
"That's how it is. I know that a lot of players don't play the tournament before (Wimbledon). I'm not the only one."
Kvitova was the top seed at Eastbourne. Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark is in the highest-seeded player at the tournament.
Kvitova, who hasn't played since losing in the fourth round at the French Open on June 1, said she started feeling ill when she arrived in Britain on Thursday. She had a sore throat on Saturday and her condition hasn't improved.
"I have to still think positively, and I hope I'm going to be ready for Wimbledon," the Czech player said. "I'm playing Tuesday (at Wimbledon next week), so it's still time for it."
Former Grand Slam finalists Svetlana Kuznetsova and Dominika Cibulkova advanced to the second round with victories Monday.
Kuznetsova, who has won the French Open and U.S. Open, converted all four of her break points in beating Magdalena Rybarikova 7-6 (5), 6-4 to set up a match against Flavia Pennetta.
Cibulkova, a runner-up at the Australian Open last year, beat Harriet Dart 6-1, 6-3 and will next play 2014 Wimbledon semifinalist Lucie Safarova.
Rain pushed 2014 Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard's second-round match against Alison Riske back to Tuesday.
There were wins for unseeded players Polona Hercog of Slovenia, Irina Falconi of the United States, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic, Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria and home favorite Heather Watson.
