SYDNEY — Angelique Kerber brought to eight the number of the top-10 women's tennis players laid low by injuries or illness in the leadup to the Australian Open when she withdrew from the Sydney International Tuesday with a stomach illness.
No. 7-ranked Kerber reached the final of last week's Brisbane International and beat Ukraine's Eline Svitolina 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in the first round in Sydney.
But she started to feel ill during that match and informed tournament organizers Tuesday she would be unable to play her second-round match against Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.
The Sydney tournament has already lost fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska to a leg injury and defending champion Petra Kvitova, ranked No.