Fifth-ranked Petra Kvitova has come down with a case of the stomach flu, which was said to play a part in her 6-3, 6-2 loss to Carla Suarez Navarro in Beijing. Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova retired in her match against Polona Hercog with a gastrointestinal illness. Kvitova’s press agent said that the Czech went straight to bed after she got back to her hotel.
Serena Williams pulled out of the tournament with the flu, while Victoria Azarenka pulled out of her second round match last week in Tokyo due to dizziness. She is feeling better and won her first-round match in Beijing.