Ekaterina Alexandrova forced to retire due to heat illness in Memphis Classic first round

No. 1 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia and second-seeded American McCartney Kessler each lost their opening matches on a chaotic day of first-round action in the Memphis Classic in Tennessee.

Alexandrova retired due to heat illness when she was two points away from defeat down 7-6 (2), 4-6, 5-4 against 16-year-old Russian Kristina Liutova, who was making her WTA debut. The temperature, approaching 97 degrees Fahrenheit, and the match lasting more than three hours took a toll on the 19th-ranked player in the world, who collapsed on the court ahead of her retirement.

Kessler's match went the distance as she took a 6-4, 6-1 loss to Mexico's Renata Zarazua. Kessler, who is still seeking her first WTA title this year after winning two in 2025, led 4-2 in the first set before dropping four straight games. She then was broken to begin the second set and never recovered.

Kessler won just 41.7% of her service points overall.

Eighth-seeded Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva fell 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 against American Sloane Stephens. No. 4 seed Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, No. 6 Caty McNally and No. 7 Peyton Stearns all won three-set battles to stay alive. Darja Vidmanova of the Czech Republic and China's Ye-Xin Ma also recorded victories.

--Field Level Media/Reuters