Britain’s Sonay Kartal retired from her fourth-round Indian Wells match against world number three Elena Rybakina due to a lower back injury.
Kartal, 24, received physio treatment between games but lost the first set 6-4. Trailing 4-3 in the second set and struggling with pain after a stretched return, she went to the net to shake hands, ending her run.
The player revealed she had managed the injury throughout the tournament but admitted the match was “one too many.”
“As athletes, you are very in-tune with your body,” Kartal told THE Sport. “I could keep pushing, but today the pain got too intense. I faced a super-tough opponent and had to pull the plug.”
Ranked 54th, Kartal became the first British woman to reach the fourth round at Indian Wells twice.
Elena Rybakina will meet fifth seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals after Pegula defeated Belinda Bencic 6-3 7-6 (7-5).
Meanwhile, world number two Iga Swiatek dominated Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, winning 6-2 6-0 and chasing her third Indian Wells title. Swiatek will face ninth seed Elina Svitolina, who advanced after Katerina Siniakova retired with an injury while trailing 6-1, 1-1.
