Kirilenko Forced to Withdraw in Sofia as Stosur Advances
Maria Kirilenko retired against Alizé Cornet in her first match at the 2013 Garanti Koza WTA Tournament of Champions in Sofia, Bulgaria and then withdrew from the event on Wednesday. Kirilenko was trailing the seventh-seeded Cornet in the first set, 5-0, when she was forced to stop play due to a left knee injury. She then announced her withdrawal from the event.
"I just want to say that I can't continue playing this tournament," Kirilenko said. "During the match I made a wrong step and felt pain in my knee. I feel so much pain right now that I can't continue here. Before the match it was fine … it happened during the match."
Kirilenko will be replaced in Group Serdika by Elina Svitolina, who was the first alternate.
Also on Wednesday, Sam Stosur defeated Elena Vesnina in her first round-robin match of the event, 6-3, 6-3. Stosur is now 10-1 since the start of October, including winning the Osaka title, reaching the finals in Moscow and now winning her opening match in Sofia.
"Any time you win a group of matches like that it makes you feel good, and maybe in those tough moments in the matches you're in, you can draw on some of that confidence and think, 'I can do better, I can do this, I can hit that shot,' because you've been doing it day in and day out the last few weeks,” said Stosur. "So having a run of matches can certainly build confidence and help you in each match."
