Naomi Osaka Withdraws from the Japan Open Due to Injury
The tennis player Naomi Osaka was forced to withdraw from the Japan Open on Friday due to a left leg injury.
This withdrawal in the quarterfinals gave Jaqueline Cristian a place in the semifinals, according to the WTA Tour.
The tournament organizers indicated that Osaka, the top seed, had not recovered from the injury suffered in her second-round match. For Cristian, this will be his third semifinal appearance of the year and the first on a surface other than clay.
Before the injury, Osaka achieved victories over Wakana Sonobe and the 2024 champion, Suzan Lamens.
After splitting the first two sets with Lamens, Osaka took a 5-0 lead in the third. However, during an exchange with Lamens, Osaka felt discomfort in her left leg.
Despite winning the point after Lamens sent a backhand out, he requested a medical timeout after the next point.
Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam winner, returned to the court with her left thigh bandaged and with limitations in her movements, but managed to close out the match on her third match point.
In another quarterfinal match of the Japan Open, Leylah Fernandez defeated Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3.
