Azarenka collapses, wheeled off court

Big scare at the Grandstand's first match today: 10th-seeded Belarusian Victoria Azarenka collapsed 30 minutes into her second-round match against Argentinian Gisela Dulko. Playing amid 90-degree heat and 42 percent humidity, Azarenka was trailing 5-1 in the first set when she fell to the court. Medical personnel quickly rushed to her aid and yelled to the sideline for water. After a few minutes on the ground, the 21-year-old was helped into a wheelchair; a trainer placed a hand at her neck to check her pulse and help support her head.

Azarenka was transported to a nearby hospital via ambulance. In a statement issued this afternoon the USTA said Azarenka retired from her match with "headache-like symptoms" and that "this does not seem to be primarily a heat-related illness."

About two hours later Azarenka issued a statement elaborating on her condition. “I was warming up in the gym prior to my match against Gisela Dulko when I fell while running a sprint," the statement read. "I fell forward and hit my arm and head. I was checked by the medical team before I went on court and they were courtside for monitoring. I felt worse as the match went on, having a headache and feeling dizzy. I also started having trouble seeing and felt weak before I fell. I was taken to the hospital for some medical tests and have been diagnosed with a mild concussion.“

This is not the first time Azarenka has felt faint at a major. At the 2009 Australian Open, Azarenka withdrew from her fourth-round match against eventual champ Serena Williams, citing an "undisclosed illness" that caused dizziness.

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