The black series continues for Naomi Osaka. The Japanese tennis player withdrew from the WTA tournament in Melbourne on Saturday (January 8) 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 the organizers on Twitter. Unfortunately I have an injury to my abdomen and need to rest and prepare for the Australian Open [à partir du 17 janvier] », she added.
The Japanese, 13e world, was playing his first tournament since his defeat at 3e US Open tour 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 Alizé Cornet, the Belgian Maryna Zanevska and the German Andrea Petkovic.
Veronika Kudermetova will therefore face Romanian Simona Halep in the final on Sunday, who won in the other semi-final against Chinese Zheng Qinwen (6-3, 6-2).