Azarenka advances to Guadalajara round of 16 following Badosa's retirement mid-match

Former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka booked her spot in the round of 16 at the 2022 Guadalajara Open Akron, as opponent Paula Badosa retired after dropping the opening set.

Azarenka recorded a 6-2 RET victory over the top seed, who looked completely outclassed to start the match. The Belarusian won an astounding 92% of points behind her first serve, and raced to a 4-0 before her Spanish opponent was able to salvage a game.

With the first set under wraps in just half an hour, fans were expecting either a strong comeback from the Spaniard or more domination from Azarenka. However, neither was to be the case as Badosa retired from the match, citing an undisclosed illness. This loss ensures that the 2021 semifinalist is out of the WTA Finals race and will finish the 2022 season ranked outside the Top 10.

Conversely, Azarenka will face Madison Keys for a spot in the quarterfinals, with the American battling past Australian Ajla Tomljanovic in their second round encounter.