BEIJING -- Venus Williams withdrew from the China Open with a viral illness Thursday shortly before her third-round match against Petra Kvitova.
The match would have been a reprise of their third-round encounter at Wimbledon, which Kvitova won in three sets after being just two points from defeat in the second set. Kvitova then went on to win her second title at the All England Club.
China Open organizers said Williams was suffering from a viral illness. Venus' sister Serena also withdrew from a tournament last week in the central Chinese city of Wuhan citing a virus.
Serena Williams, the defending champion, plays Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic for a spot in the China Open quarterfinals later Thursday.