(January 16, 2013) Brian Baker was leading his fellow American No. 20 seed Sam Querrey 7-6, 1-1 when he was forced to retire due to knee injury. Baker stretched to get a wide forehand when his right knee collapsed.
ESPN2 reports that Baker has a torn lateral meniscus in the right knee which will need surgery that will put him out of action and estimated four months.
“I didn’t see what happened,” Querrey explained. “I hit a ball, and then he hit a ball long. I was looking at the ballkids to grab balls for my serve, and then I looked back and he was on the ground.
“And then just asking him, he said he kind of just felt his knee almost buckle and kind of heard like a pop or a snap. He didn’t know if it was bones or a tear, but he couldn’t straighten it, couldn’t walk.
“I feel awful for him.”
Baker’s comeback from multiple surgeries including Tommy John surgery on his elbow, began in 2012 after seven years off the tour.
“Pretty good quality first set, I thought, ” Querry said. “We exchanged a couple breaks early, maybe a little sloppy those two games. Then I had a break at 4‑All; he played an unbelievable point and hit a great pass.
“He was playing great. I mean, those courts are fast. You can kind of catch up to the return and hit through the court. He was playing well, and, you know, I was hoping to come back and, you know, just such a bummer for him.”
The 27-year-old from Tennessee ranked 57 in the world who won his first match at the Australian Open on Monday, made the Round of 16 at Wimbledon last year.
Querrey moves into the third round where he will meet Stanislas Wawrinka.