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American Sam Querrey advanced to the third round of Australian Open 2013, but not the way he wanted.
His friend and fellow countryman Brian Baker retired while leading 7-6(2) 1-1 after he suffered what appeared to be a serious right leg injury on Wednesday.
Baker was running to his right at 30-15 when he pulled up lame. He hopped to his chair and called for the trainer. Querrey sat next to him, Baker continually shook his head.
"Something rubbed back and forth and ... I couldn't straighten my leg. I've never had knee problems in my life,” he told the doctor.
After some treatment, Baker tried to walk and but was unable to put pressure on his leg and retired. He sat on his chair, put his head in his hands, then a towel over his head and appeared to cry. He then left the court in a wheelchair.
“I didn't see what happened,” Querrey said. “I hit a ball, and then he hit a ball long. I was looking at the ball kids to grab balls for my serve, and then I looked back and he was on the ground. And then just started asking him, he said he kind of just felt his knee almost buckle and kind of heard like a pop or a snap. He didn't know if it was bones or a tear, but he couldn't straighten it, couldn't walk. I feel awful for him.”
Baker had played brilliantly to win the tiebreaker from his fellow American, ripping three straight winners to take the set.
A French Open junior finalist, the 27-year-old has battled injury throughout his career. He returned to the tour in 2010 after six years on the sidelines and had surgeries on both hips (
Querrey will play the winner of the match between 15th seed Stan Wawrinka and Tobias Kamke.
“These courts are a little faster,” Querrey said. “I'm going to come out and play a little more aggressive than the last time. I feel like I'm a better player than at the US Open 2010 when I played him. So I think I probably serve big, hit my forehand big, I like my chances.”