Awful start to the U.S. Open Wednesday morning: Victoria Azarenka collapsed in the middle of her second-round match. SI.com's Andrew Lawrence has the story. Watch the video below (and ignore the Mario Bros. music if you can).
Big scare at the Grandstand’s first match today: 10th-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka collapsed 30 minutes into her second-round match against Argentinian Gisela Dulko. Playing amid 90-degree heat and 42 percent humidity, Azarenka was trailing 5-1 in the first set when she fell to the court. Medical personnel quickly rushed to her aid and yelled to the sideline for water. After a few minutes on the ground, the 21-year-old was helped into a wheelchair; a trainer placed a hand at her neck to check her pulse and help support her head.
This is not the first time Azarenka has felt feint at a major. At the 2009 Australian Open, Azarenka withdrew from her fourth-round match against eventual champ Serena Williams, citing an “undisclosed illness” that caused dizziness.