World No.1 Barty out of French Open with hip problem

Barty out of French Open with hip problem
By Eleanor Crooks, PA Tennis Correspondent

World number one Ashleigh Barty is out of the French Open after retiring through injury during her second-round clash with Magda Linette.

Barty came into the tournament in great from and as one of the big favourites but struggled against Bernarda Pera in her first match and revealed afterwards that a left hip problem had flared up at the weekend.

The 25-year-old admitted it would be tough to get through more matches and so it proved, with the top seed calling it a day trailing 6-1 2-2.

Australian Barty held onto her first service game but was clearly hampered and was then broken twice in succession before heading off court for treatment at the end of the set.

She played a little more freely at the start of the second set, holding serve twice in succession, but her facial expressions betrayed the discomfort she was feeling.

After Linette held serve to make it 2-2 in the second set, Barty shook her head and put her racket away.

The defeat ends Barty’s winning run at Roland Garros after she lifted the trophy in 2019 and chose not to defend her title last year.