World No.2 Garbine Muguruza suffered a fitness scare ahead of this month's Australian Open when she was forced to retire from the Brisbane International on Tuesday with severe cramping.Wimbledon champion Muguruza was ahead 2-1 in the deciding set against Serbia's Aleksandra Krunic in the second round of the warm-up tournament for the season's first Grand Slam event , when she collapsed to the ground following a serve.
The Spanish top seed was unable to continue and handed the match to Krunic 5-7, 7-6 (7/3), 2-1. " I felt in trouble in the second set when I was 2-0 up," Muruguruza had won a tight first set and appeared heading for a straight sets win over Krunic when she opened up a 5-2 lead in the second.
However , she began to struggle in the 30 Celsius heat and oppressive humidity as Krunic fought back to win the second set on a tiebreak . Muguruza received treatment from the physio on court before the start of the decider and broke Krunic only to collapse while serving to consolidate the service break.
Krunic will now play Anastasija Sevastova after the seventh - seeded Latvian Crushed Sorana Cirstea of Romania 6-2, 6-1. Last year's runner up Alize Cornet eased into the final eight with a straight - sets win over Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni. Cornet , who won her first - round match when fourth seed Caroline Garcia retired injured , was too consistent for Lucic- Baroni , winning 6-1,7-5.
Earlier , 21 year old South Korean Chung Hyeon stunned fifth seed Gilles Muller from Luxembourg 3,7-6(7/1) , while US qualifier Michael Mmoh upset Argentine Federico Delbonis 6-3,6-4. Britain's Kyle Edmund survived a barrage of 18 aces from 18 year old Canadian Denis Shapovalov to win in three sets 6-7 (5/7) , 7-6 (7/4) , 6-4 , and Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin downed seventh - seeded Bosnian Damir Dzumbhur 6-7(4/7) , 6-3, 6-2.