Azarenka Collapses With Mild Concussion | Thebigtip

By CHRISTOPHER CLAREY @ NyTimes

Up went her service toss at the United States Open  on Wednesday, and Victoria Azarenka, already wobbly on her feet and down in the first set of her second-round match, 0-4, took a swing and missed completely, the ball bouncing off her back before landing on the steamy surface of the grandstand court.

It was the clearest sign yet that something was seriously amiss with Azarenka, the big-hitting No. 10 seed from Belarus, and though she somehow managed to hold her serve and play on, she collapsed on court in the seventh game after staggering to hit a backhand.

Azarenka, a terrific hardcourt player considered a legitimate threat to win the tournament, was soon surrounded by medical personnel, as well as her opponent, Gisela Dulko of Argentina.

Azarenka, 21, was taken off the court after being helped into a wheelchair. She was treated, transported to a local hospital for tests and released in the late afternoon.

She later released a statement explaining that her problem was caused by a mild concussion sustained during her off-court warm-up before the match. “She was just doing some footwork exercises, and she tripped on the bottom of her own sweat pants and ended up falling and hitting her head on the ground,” her agent, John Tobias, said. “Unbelievable.”

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