(Melbourne) Japan’s Naomi Osaka withdrew from the WTA Melbourne tournament on Saturday with an abdominal injury before the semi-final she was scheduled to play against Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova.
“I really enjoyed playing here in Melbourne,” Naomi Osaka said in a statement released by organizers on Twitter.
“Unfortunately I have an injury to my abdomen and I have to rest and prepare for the Australian Open” from January 17th, she added.
The Japanese, 13e world, was playing his first tournament since his defeat at 3e tour of the US Open in September.
Her 2021 season was largely disrupted by psychological difficulties and she explained that she wanted to have fun on the court in Melbourne. She successively eliminated the French Alize Cornet, the Belgian Maryna Zanevska and the German Andrea Petkovic.
Veronika Kudermetova will therefore face Romania’s Simona Halep in the final on Sunday, who won in the other semi-final against China’s Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2.