TENNIS/US Open women's round-up:Women's number 10 seed Victoria Azarenka collapsed on court at Flushing Meadows in New York today and was taken away in a wheelchair in the searing heat during the first set of her match against Argentina's Gisela Dulko.
The Belarus player slumped to the ground while trailing her second round match 5-1 in the first set on the Grandstand court, where the temperature was 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius).
The 21-year-old received medical treatment on the court before being taken away in a wheelchair.
“I was scared. She went to the floor - I was worried for her. I went to see her, brought her some ice, did whatever I could to help," said Dulko.
Azarenka appeared to struggle as early as the third game when the trainer was called. She received treatment for an apparent arm injury but also complained of blurred vision.
It became increasingly clear that she was in difficulty as she took time out between every subsequent point and was ill at ease on her feet.
Then, while serving for the fourth time in the match, she collapsed on the baseline, leading to gasps from the crowd, and forcing her retirement from the tournament. She was later taken to a nearby hospital.
Dulko now faces 20th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the third round after the Russian eased past India’s Sania Mirza 62 6-4.
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic booked her place in the third round of a grand slam for the first time this year following an upset win over China’s Zheng Jie.
The Serb brushed aside her 21st-seeded opponent 6-3 6-0 in less than an hour as she showed signs of the form that helped her reach the top of the women’s game.
Ivanovic, currently ranked 40 in the world, hit 22 winners in an unexpectedly dominant display.
The 22-year-old has struggled in the major tournaments in recent times having lost in the first round at Wimbledon earlier this year after second-round defeats at the Australian and French Opens.
She was also a first-round loser at the US Open last year, but now has the opportunity to match her best performance at Flushing Meadows, having reached the fourth round in 2007.
Ivanovic will next meet the winner of the all-French clash between 13th seed and former Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli and Virginie Razzano.