Tennis – Australian Open – Second Round – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 17, 2019. Austria’s Dominic Thiem receives medical attention during the match against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Seventh seed Dominic Thiem’s Australian Open came to a premature end on Thursday when the Austrian retired due to illness during his second-round clash with local wildcard Alexei Popyrin.
French Open finalist Thiem appeared frustrated during the match, smashing one of his rackets before retiring when trailing 7-5 6-4 2-0.
“I felt very bad during the game obviously,” Thiem told reporters.
“Today I started to feel like the whole body hurts and generally, I was not feeling well at all.
“In the match, it got worse, the whole body was hurting I was feeling weak and no sense to continue.”
Local favorite Popyrin will play Frenchman Lucas Pouille for a place in the last 16.
“The cause, I don’t know 100 percent,” said Thiem of the illness.
“I had some cold the last weeks and also when I arrived here. I have to check it when I’m home and that’s it.”