The defending champion Petra Kvitova has withdrawn from the Aegon International at Eastbourne due to an illness. The World No. 2 has decided to rest in order to recover for her title defense next week.

It is the second year running that the Czech has pulled out of Eastbourne. Last year too she had to pull out due to hamstring issues. But she recovered and emerged victorious at Wimbledon for the second time, beating Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in the final.

Kvitova said, “I started to feel unwell when I came here, last Thursday”.

“I’m not sure why. I have not been feeling the best. Two days ago I had a really sore throat, and it’s really not that much better. I made the decision to pull out.”

“I hope I will be fine for Wimbledon. I don’t need antibiotics, so that is a good sign. I just have to go to bed and drink hot tea. Just lying down and resting.”

 It’ll be interesting to see how well the crafty left-handed tennis star recovers and how far she goes in the tournament in the shadows of her recent health issues.