LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — It was quite a comedown for a reigning Wimbledon champion.
In her first match on English grass since winning Wimbledon last year, Marion Bartoli was losing to a 15-year-old junior in an exhibition in Liverpool on Thursday when she quit with a right shoulder problem.
The 29-year-old Bartoli retired from professional tennis a month after her Wimbledon triumph. The Frenchwoman looked nowhere near playing shape at the Liverpool Hope University International Tennis exhibition.
Bartoli was trailing 15-year-old Jodie Burrage 7-5, 3-2 when she called it quits.
Before the match, Bartoli said “if she beats me that’s fine. It’s not like I need to win any more.”
Burrage says winning against Bartoli is “unreal.”
Bartoli will be doing commentary for BBC at Wimbledon, which opens Monday.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
