Bogomolov retires on match point in 5th set

PARIS (AP) -After more than four hours on court at the French Open, Alex Bogomolov Jr. was one point from losing when he decided he'd had enough.

The Russian was trailing Arnaud Clement of France 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 5-4 on Monday when he quit the match while serving on match point.

"I got cramps and I retired," said Bogomolov, who had his own match point in the fourth set. "My whole leg was straight. I couldn't bend it. I couldn't walk.

"I didn't want to risk a potential ligament damage or something. And you can't get a trainer for that."

Players can have a medical timeout for cramping only during a changeover or at the end of a set.

Bogomolov, who was playing at the French Open for the third time and has now lost in the first round each time, held his own match point at 6-5 in the fourth set.

Clement nearly faced the same problem at the beginning of the last set.

"I was starting to feel cramps, as well," Clement said. "I know that some people shouted at him. I didn't like that, even though they were the same way encouraging me."

Bogomolov was born in Russia but raised in the United States. At the end of last year, he changed his nationality from American to Russian.

Michael Llodra, who also advanced to the second round, watched the end of the Bogomolov-Clement match after his victory.

"That was very surprising," Llodra said. "It doesn't happen all that often, to win this way or to end the match. If you look at the scores, you'd say ... `It's a pity he cannot play this final shot."'