Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka and Marion Bartoli pulled out of the Medibank International Sydney because of injury and illness.
Russian world No.7 Zvonareva withdrew from her first-round match against Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues after suffering a bout of gastroenteritis.
Belorussian world No.14 Azarenka, who won her maiden WTA title last week in Brisbane, pulled out because of a mystery virus.
Bartoli, the world No.17 from France and the last week’s finalist at the Brisbane International, quit her match against British qualifier Melanie South after just two games because of a calf injury.
Too bad for them. But there is more space for new talents.