NEW YORK: Victoria Azarenka, who once suffered a frightening on-court collapse through concussion, sympathised with Eugenie Bouchard on Monday after the Canadian suffered a tournament-ending head injury at the US Open.
Azarenka was forced out of the Australian Open in Melbourne in 2010 when she collapsed during a match.
At first, it was thought the incident was caused by the Australian summer's notorious searing temperatures.
But it emerged the collapse was due to a concussion suffered when she hit her head in the gym earlier in the day.
"It is unfortunate for her. You don't want to see anybody going through an injury like this," said Azarenka.
Bouchard slipped and fell in the Flushing Meadows locker room on Friday night.
It is understood that the room was in darkness at the time, unattended and with the floor still wet after being washed.
Bouchard had already pulled out of the women's and mixed doubles before finally withdrawing from her scheduled last-16 singles clash with Italy's Roberta Vinci on Sunday night on medical advice.
The 21-year-old did not speak to reporters at the site, where she had attended a medical conference dressed in a hooded top and wearing dark glasses.
"It's unfortunate, especially, she's been coming back and playing quite solid. But there is not much you can do," said Azarenka.
The former world number one said that when she hit her head in Melbourne, much less was known of concussion and its dangers.
"When I fell and I got concussion I was racing to the court 15 minutes after, so that's why I collapsed on the court.
"So that wasn't probably a very smart move, but I didn't know what I had at that moment. But other than that, I actually don't remember.
"I think I played my next tournament. I obviously took a week off, but I did all the tests in the hospital, all the tests for the eyes, so I was okay after. I hope she will be, too."
Azarenka, the 20th seed, reached her fourth US Open quarter-final on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Varvara Lepchenko of the United States.
The 26-year-old, who next faces either Romanian second seed Simona Halep or 24th-seeded German Sabine Lisicki, appeared on Arthur Ashe Stadium with both biceps tightly strapped.
She said the tape was a means of protecting her arms from blisters caused by a possible allergic reaction to her clothing.
"I just had like a blister kind of rubbing against my skin or my material. It's just like burning sensation when I touch it," she explained.
"So I just put the tape around so it doesn't bother me.
"I did it yesterday. I saw this group of my fans. They post all the pictures and stuff, and they were freaking, like, 'What happened to her arms? What is it? What is going on?'
"You know, I had an opportunity to explain this today, and I hope they are not going be too worried, or anybody else."
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