Venus Williams pulls out of China Open

Venus Williams has withdrawn from the China Open due to a viral illness.

The world number 19 was due to face Petra Kvitova at the National Tennis Centre this morning, but had little choice but to pull out of the tournament at the last minute.

Williams was edged out by the Czech pro when the pair last met at Wimbledon in the summer, losing 5-7 7-6 7-5 in what was an entertaining game in London.

Kvitova advances through to the quarter-final, where she will take on either Ekaterina Makarova or Roberta Vinci.