Karolina Pliskova retires after three points at US Open with ankle injury

NEW YORK—It wasn’t the kind of three-pointer a professional athlete wants.

Karolina Pliskova, who reached the US Open final eight years ago and was runner-up at Wimbledon five years later, retired in her second-round match against Jasmine Paolini after playing just three points.

Paolini, the No. 5 seed in Queens and finalist at the last two majors, lost the first point on serve with a backhand unforced error. She recovered to 15-all after a Pliskova miss. Paolini took the next point with a forehand winner.

Then she won the match.

As Pliskova turned to her right to retrieve Paolini’s shot, she pushed off her left ankle and then immediately hopped up in the air. She walked toward her chair and then, shortly after, ended the match.

It was an outcome that recalled Aaron Rodgers’ start with the New York Jets last September, when he suffered an ACL injury just four snaps into his season.

It is not often you see a 0-0 (ret.) score, but that is the case after today’s unfortunate event. Paolini advances to the third round, where she’ll face 30^th seed Yulia Putintseva.