shrapi:How bad, Elena gave up.
I watched it too, but I wanted to find some news before I commented. Elena often plays with her right thigh wrapped--even has an outer sheath matching her dress. Today, I noticed that the wrap was on her left thigh--so she was feeling something before she came on court. Early in that second set, she went down on her knee in a way that made me think the leg had given out on her. By the third set, her face was betraying discomfort and Vera was clearly worried.
There were a lot of upsets today. It is late in the season and all those strains and body problems are piling up. (The Linz organizers are in a froth fretting the shape of their field.) Besides, she just fought her way through Kremlin Cup. It's not unusual for winners and finalists of intense tourneys to bail on the next one. But, besides wanting to contend for the YEC if she could, Elena has a reputation for honoring committments.
Don't be sad. She just achieved the KC, which she had wanted all her life, and touched again the top ten--I don't think she had really expected to be back there before next year. Elena is tough enough to have finished the match but she has already learned the hard way the foolishness of playing against an injury. I'm glad she had the sense to go ahead and get off the court. This is probably nothing major and now she can rest and recoup.