Krejcikova suffers injury scare four days before Wimbledon title defence

Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova has withdrawn from Eastbourne pinch a thigh wounded conscionable 4 days earlier her SW19 title defence begins.

The Czech was taken to 3 sets successful some of her matches connected nan southbound coast, beating Britons Harriet Dart and Jodie Burrage successful information 1 and 2 respectively.

She was group to look France's Varvara Gracheva successful nan quarter-finals but pulled retired earlier nan lucifer began.

Two-time awesome singles champion Krejcikova initially felt nan rumor connected Wednesday and said it had "got worse" overnight.

"I'm very sorry to person to retreat arsenic I'm having immoderate soreness successful my correct thigh," nan 29-year-old said.

"I deliberation it's amended pinch Wimbledon successful nan adjacent mates of days conscionable to remainder it and to spot what's going connected and to resoluteness that."

Krejcikova, who will unfastened play connected Tuesday astatine Wimbledon arsenic nan defending women's champion, has played conscionable six matches this twelvemonth aft a lengthy lay-off pinch a backmost injury.

She mislaid her first-round lucifer astatine Queen's past week past saved lucifer points against some Dart and Burrage.

The world number 17 hit Italy's Jasmine Paolini successful nan Wimbledon last past year.

Elsewhere, world number 4 Paolini hit Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia 7-5 7-5 to group up a semi-final against Iga Swiatek astatine Bad Homburg.

Poland's Swiatek came done a rain-interrupted lucifer against Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 7-6 (7-5).

Swiatek said she did crosswords during a two-hour rainfall hold earlier returning to seal triumph successful nan second-set tie-break.

World number 8 Swiatek has ne'er reached a WTA Tour grass-court final, though she won Wimbledon arsenic a junior.

However, she has beaten Paolini successful each 4 of their erstwhile meetings, including successful past year's French Open final.

Swiatek did not play immoderate grass-court warm-up events earlier Wimbledon past twelvemonth - wherever she was nan apical seed - and yet mislaid successful nan 3rd round.

American apical seed Jessica Pegula had hardly sewage connected tribunal earlier nan rainfall returned but yet came done 6-4 1-6 6-3 successful a thriller against compatriot Emma Navarro.

She will look Linda Noskova successful nan semi-finals aft nan Czech stunned high-flying Russian teen Mirra Andreeva 6-3 6-3.