Andy Murray and Serena Williams pulled out of the Italian Open on Thursday ahead of their third-round matches.
Murray said he was tired, while Williams claimed she was suffering with an elbow injury.
“I practised 40 minutes and felt pretty exhausted,” Murray told a news conference ahead of his match against Belgian David Goffin. “It didn't make sense for me to keep going because when you feel like this it becomes a risk to play.”
Murray recently won back-to-back tournaments in Munich and Madrid, the first clay court titles of his career. “They've been three very long weeks for me,” Murray added. “The longest on clay in my career.”
Serena, who has won the tournament for the last two years, cited a right elbow injury as the reason for her withdrawal.
“I'’e been dealing with it since last week in Madrid,” said Serena, who was due to play Christina McHale. “It was a difficult decision but I should be ready for Paris.”
Meanwhile on court, Rafael Nadal produced an “almost perfect” display as he booked a place in the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over John Isner.
The fourth seed, who has struggled to find his best form this season in the wake of the wrist injury and appendicitis issues that undermined him last year, was imperious against the big-serving American.
He did not face a single break point and won 90 percent of his first-service points.
“I was almost perfect,” said Nadal. “It was a good match, I'm satisfied.”
Halep beats Venus
In the women’s event, second seed Simona Halep easily downed Venus Williams 6-2, 6-1 in just over an hour while Eugenie Bouchard double-faulted on match point, before losing a three-hour battle to Carla Suarez Navarro 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-6(7).
In women’s doubles, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis stormed into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Julia Goerges and Silvia Soler.
However, Rohan Bopanna and his Romanian partner Florin Mergea lost to the third seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Romania’s Horia Tecau 6-2, 5-7, 10-8 in a second round match.
On Wednesday, Roger Federer defeated Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas for the second time this month as the Swiss legend began his campaign with a 7-6(3), 6-4 win.
The second-round success in 80 minutes came just over a week after Federer beat the Uruguayan on clay in the final in Istanbul.
In the women's draw, Victoria Azarenka beat fifth seed Caroline Wozniacki for the third time this season, advancing 6-2, 7-6(2).
The results: Women: Third round: Simona Halep bt Venus Williams 6-2, 6-1; Alexandra Dulgheru bt Ekaterina Makarova 6-4, 6-3; Jelena Jankovic bt Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4, 7-6(2); Christina McHale w/o Serena Williams; Carla Suarez Navarro bt Eugenie Bouchard 6-7(2), 7-5, 7-6(7); Daria Gavrilova bt Timea Bacsinszky 6-4, 7-6(0);
Second round: Petra Kvitova bt Karin Knapp 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(1); McHale bt Sara Errani 6-4, 6-4; Makarova bt Kristina Mladenovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Eugenie Bouchard bt Zarina Diyas 6-3, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka bt Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 7-6(2); Carla Suarez Navarro bt Heather Watson 6-1, 6-1; Dulgheru bt Lucie Safarova 1-6, 6-4, 7-6(6); Irina Begu bt Angelique Kerber 6-3, 6-3; Venus bt Elena Svitolina 6-4, 6-3.
Doubles: Quarterfinals: Sania Mirza & Martina Hingis bt Julia Goerges & Silvia Soler 6-4, 6-3.
Men: Third round: Roger Federer bt Kevin Anderson 6-3, 7-5; Stan Wawrinka bt Dominic Thiem 7-6(3), 6-4; David Ferrer bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-3; Rafael Nadal bt John Isner 6-4, 6-4; David Goffin w/o Andy Murray.
Second round: Federer bt Pablo Cuevas 7-6(3), 6-4.
Doubles: Second round: Jean-Julien Rojer & Horia Tecau bt Rohan Bopanna & Florin Mergea 6-2, 5-7, 10-8.
