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Kim Clijsters 225 w |
MONTREAL (AP) -- Kim Clijsters retired with a wrist injury in a second-round match against Canadian Stephanie Dubois on Wednesday night at the Rogers Cup.
Dubois, ranked No. 151 in the world, lost the first set 1-6, but led 3-2 in the second after Clijsters twice had her left wrist treated at courtside.
Clijsters, the defending U.S. Open champ and top seed, has a history of trouble with her left wrist. She retired after she dove for a crosscourt shot and landed on her wrist.
After first having the wrist treated while leading 2-1 in the second set, Clijsters was unable to use a two-handed backhand and dropped the next two games.
"I'm going to have an MRI Thursday and see what the doctors say," Clijsters said. "I have to wait and see what the tests show to see if there is any damage. Right now I just don't know."
"My wrist felt really tight. I was slicing more than usual to protect it. It was hurting and then I slipped and landed on it in the worst position possible."
Dubois was in tears, both of happiness and shock, after the match as the full house at Uniprix Stadium cheered the surprise result.
Clijsters' ouster was part of day filled with upsets, including a loss by third-seed Nadia Petrova.
She was upset by fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze 6-1, 6-4 in the Rogers Cup on Wednesday as seven seeded players exited in second-round play.
Chakvetadze will next play Nathalie Dechy of France, who upset 15th-seeded Maria Kirilenko of Russia.
"I beat her twice this month, but I know she's not playing her best," said Chakvetadze. "She hasn't played since the French Open (in May) so it's tough for her.
"But I think I didn't play bad, so it's OK."
Petrova, winner of four tournaments this year and ranked fifth in the world, was one of the few top players left in a tournament stung by the withdrawal of stars like Amelie Mauresmo, Justine Henin-Hardenne and Maria Sharapova.
The 5-foot-11 Petrova injured a hip at the French Open and only recently returned to the courts, falling to Chakvetadze in San Diego two weeks ago.
"So far, nothing is hurting, so that's the good part of it," Petrova said. "I'll try to play as much doubles as I can this week and hopefully me and Martina (Navratilova) can do well.
Petrova said she'll enter the tournament in New Haven, Conn., next week to prepare for the U.S. Open.
Chakvetadze, ranked 29th in the world, fell behind 3-1 in the second set before charging back for the win.
"She beat Kirilenko pretty easy -- I was surprised," Chakvetadze said. "I think it'll be tough. And maybe (it will be on) center court."
The seeded players to advance Wednesday were fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, ninth-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia, 11th-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia and 13th-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.
Shahar Peer of Israel scored a big win with a 7-6 (6), 5-7, 6-4 victory over sixth-seeded Anastasia Myskina of Russia.
Qualifier Shenay Perry of the United States downed 10th-seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 7-6 (5), 6-2 and Jelena Jankovic of Serbia beat eighth-seeded Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-1, 6-4.
Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat 17th-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain 6-4, 6-2 and Marion Bartoli of France advanced when 12th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy retired in the second set with an inflammation of the left wrist.