By the beginning of the second, she was struggling with her serve, her pace dropping off notably. With no sting in her serve, she was virtually lobbing the ball over the net to her opponent, while her movement was also limited.
Injury withdrawals aren't unusual for the Auckland tournament. With a Grand Slam just around the corner players are extra cautious when it comes to injuries.
But Lisicki said she would not have been able to continue in the condition she was in regardless of how important the match was.
"It hurt. I couldn't serve. I hope it's nothing too bad and I will recover quick. Hopefully a couple of days off will be enough, I am just hoping for the best," a downcast Lisicki said after the match.
"I did something similar a while back. I knew if I pushed it too much it will take two weeks to recover. I knew when to stop. It was painful and I didn't want to go over the edge," she said.
Lisicki had planned on playing in a tournament in Sydney next week as part of her preparation for the Australian Open, but is now unsure whether she will take part.
"It depends on the results of my testing tomorrow.
"It really depends on what the doctors say," she said.
"I am just hoping for the best."
