WTA Melbourne: Osaka pulls out, Halep in the final
Naomi Osaka did not play her semi-finals against Veronika Kudermetova at the WTA Tour 250 tournament in Melbourne. In contrast, Simona Halep is sovereign in the final.
by SID / red
last edit: Jan 08, 2022, 07:41 am
The four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka did not play for her semi-finals against the Russian Veronika Kudermetowa at the WTA tournament in Melbourne for physical reasons. "Unfortunately I have an abdominal muscle injury that I have to cure in order to prepare for the Australian Open," said the Japanese superstar on Twitter. The 24-year-old said her body "went into shock" after playing her first games in months.
Osaka, the reigning Australian Open winner, was back on the field this week for the first time since her tearful early exit from the US Open. On Friday she had beaten Andrea Petkovic from Darmstadt 6: 1, 7: 5 in the quarter-finals. Previously, Osaka defeated the French Alize Cornet and Maryna Zanevska from Belgium.
Simona Halep, on the other hand, made it sovereign in the final. The Romanian defeated the Chinese surprise woman Qinwen Zheng 6: 3 and 6: 2. Halep is still missing a success for her first tournament victory since Rome 2020.