NEW YORK — A US Open match between a pair of two-time Grand Slam finalists lasted only three points on Thursday, when former No. 1 Karolina Pliskova injured herself and had to stop playing against Jasmine Paolini.
The score in the second-round contest was 15-all, with Paolini serving, when Pliskova stepped awkwardly on her left foot while trying to change directions during a point she lost. That made it 30-15, and that’s where the scoreboard remained, because Pliskova headed to the sideline and asked for a visit from a trainer.
Pliskova, the runner-up at the US Open in 2016 and at Wimbledon in 2021, removed both of her shoes and took off her left sock. The trainer examined her left foot and, eventually, Pliskova said she couldn’t continue competing and limped off the court at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“It’s so sad. I hope she recovers really soon, because it’s bad to leave the court like this,” Paolini said. “I don’t know what to say, because we didn’t play a match. It’s not good for tennis.”
The No. 5-seeded Paolini lost in this year’s finals at the French Open in June to Iga Swiatek and at Wimbledon in July to Barbora Krejcikova.
Before this season, the 28-year-old Italian never had been past the second round at any major tournament in 16 appearances. That includes a 1-4 career record at Flushing Meadows, where she made it to the second round in 2021 and exited in the first round in 2020, 2022 and 2023.
“Finally, we meet, Third Round,” Paolini said, raising both arms and looking skyward. “Finally!”
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