EASTBOURNE, England (AP)—Janko Tipsarevic may have to miss Wimbledon after slipping and injuring his groin during the Eastbourne final on Saturday.
The match was won by unseeded Andreas Seppi, who claimed his first career title when the third-seeded Serbian retired while losing 7-6 (5), 3-6, 5-3. Seppi became the first Italian to win an ATP title since Filippo Volandri in Palermo in October 2006.
Marion Bartoli of France limbered up for Wimbledon by beating Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 in the women’s final.
Tipsarevic slipped and injured his groin in the third set when down 3-4, 0-30 on serve, after repeatedly arguing with officials about the fading light.
After lengthy treatment he dropped his serve to fall behind 5-3 and retired after Seppi won the first point of the next game.
“I’m taking an ultrasound now but it doesn’t look good,” Tipsarevic said.
“I know matches are played here until late, but that is the case when there are no clouds and you have enough light.
“It’s an absolute disgrace. The organization … not the organization, but the fact what happened today. At 4-3, 15-all or love-30 when I slipped, I asked the chair umpire or the referee, ‘What else needs to happen for you to postpone this match?’ And he was just quiet. He was just repeating like a parrot that we have enough light, we have enough light.
“To power through the final—this is not first or second round. This is a final of an ATP event. I myself still don’t have a title, and I don’t want to lose it because of the dark.
“It’s bad enough that I have to play on a slippery court with wind, but to postpone it because, I mean, for two, three games because they were, I don’t know, too lazy or wanted to go home tomorrow or whatever, that’s just a complete disgrace.”
Tipsarevic and Seppi both played their semifinals earlier Saturday, after rain washed out Friday’s schedule.
In the final, Tipsarevic protested about the fading light after the first game of the third set, and then dropped serve to fall behind 2-0. He continued to complain as he lost the next two games, before rain forced the players from the court. When play resumed Tipsarevic won the next three games before he fell.
His record in finals dropped to 0-4. He was also runner-up this year at Delray Beach.
He’s seeded 23rd at Wimbledon.
Bartoli’s victory is her first title since winning Stanford nearly two years ago, and came after she finished as runner-up at Indian Wells and Strasbourg this season.
Bartoli broke twice in the first set to win it. She led 3-1 in the second but Kvitova broke back twice to force a third.
Kvitova held off two break points to begin the final set, and at 1-1 Bartoli left the court for treatment for a left hamstring injury.
Bartoli took a 4-3 lead when Kvitova hit two consecutive double-faults, but she failed to serve out the match at 5-4. She broke again to lead 6-5 when Kvitova made a backhand error and claimed victory at her second opportunity.
“I had to fight really hard, especially playing two matches back-to-back on the same day,” Bartoli said. “It reminds me of my junior time when we had to play two matches a day. But I think it was an entertaining match. I had the lead in the second set but couldn’t close it out but Petra started to play very well. She was hitting the ball very hard and very deep.
“Then at the end it was just fighting and trying to find a way to win.”
Bartoli was not concerned about her injury and was certain to be fit for Wimbledon, where she reached the final in 2007.
“My muscle started to get tight and after the support I received with the tape it was better and now I have two days off so I am definitely going to be OK for Wimbledon,” she said.
In the semifinals, Bartoli beat Australian Sam Stosur 6-3, 6-1 and Kvitova advanced when Daniela Hantuchova retired with an abdominal injury as Kvitova led 7-6 (9), 4-2.
“It’s not great that’s for sure,” Hantuchova said of her injury. “It happened at 3-love in the first set. I was running for a wide backhand and kind of felt a sharp pain and it just was getting worse and worse from then.
“Seeing the doctor now, and as soon as I come to Wimbledon I will try to work with the physios and try to do something to be able to be ready for Monday.”
Kvitova was seeded 8th at Wimbledon, Bartoli 9th, Stosur 10th, and Hantuchova 25th.