* Wimbledon champion Kvitova joins departure list
* Eight players succumb to virus, say officials
(Updates with Kvitova withdrawing from doubles)
By Mark Lamport-Stokes
March 12 (Reuters) – The widespread viral infection at
Indian Wells claimed two big names on Monday as former French
Open winner Francesca Schiavone and Wimbledon champion Petra
Kvitova both pulled out.
Italian Schiavone, who won her only grand slam singles title
at Roland Garros in 2010, withdrew during her third-round match
in the WTA tournament when trailing Czech Lucie Safarova 2-6.
Czech Kvitova, who had already been ousted as the third seed
from the singles draw on Sunday, pulled out of her women’s
doubles match on Monday citing a stomach bug.
According to officials, eight players have withdrawn from
the tournament because of the virus, which local health
authorities have described as a 48-hour bug transmitted by air
and direct contact and not via food.
“I have had it before a few years ago and it’s not pretty,”
Russian Maria Sharapova told reporters after booking her place
in the fourth round with a 6-3 6-4 win against Romania’s Simona
Halep on Monday.
“It’s a great diet, but other than that it’s horrible,
especially for an athlete. But it’s pretty tough, considering
you can’t really escape it too much.”
Continued…
