MASON, OH, USA - For just the second time in Sony Ericsson WTA Tour history, a player has been defaulted from a match. On Tuesday night, Anastasia Rodionova of Russia was defaulted after smacking a ball against the backwall near a group of fans during her first-round match with Angelique Kerber on the Grandstand Court at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
Rodionova has not been defaulted from the doubles draw and will take the court again tonight, playing her doubles match with American Lilia Osterloh. They will play the team of Kirsten Flower and Connie Hsu on Center Court after the singles match between top-seed Anna Chakvetadze and Romanian qualifier Anda Perianu.
Tuesday night, Rodionova won the first set, 6-4, and had battled her way back from 4-2 down to 4-4 in the second before Kerber broke serve again and
served out the set easily, 6-4. After being broken in the first game of the third set, Rodionova struck a ball that hit halfway up the backwall near some fans.
During the change of ends the chair umpire called for the Tournament Referee, and after a short discussion Rodionova was defaulted, handingKerber a 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 victory.
Romania's Irina Spirlea was defaulted from a second round match at Palermo 11 years ago - coincidentally at the beginning of the deciding set - after directing abusive language at an official.
