Osaka knocked out of Italian Open by injury
http://www.hrlnews.com/2019/05/osaka-knocked-out-of-italian-open-by.html
World number one Naomi Osaka has pulled out of the Italian Open
before Friday’s quarter-finals with injury just a week before the start
of the French Open.
The 21-year-old withdrew because of a “pain in her right hand,” organisers announced.
The Japanese star was due to meet Madrid Open champion and sixth seed Kiki Bertens for a place in the final four in Rome.
Osaka won twice on Thursday after the previous day’s play was rained
off, retaining the world number one ranking ahead of Roland Garros.
She eased into the last eight in Rome with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Mihaela Buzarnescu.
Osaka beat the 29th-ranked Romanian in 78 minutes after earlier
beating Slovak Dominika Cibulkova by the same scoreline in one hour and
42 minutes in the second round, as players doubled up after the previous
day was washed out.
At the start of the day, Osaka had needed to make the quarter-finals
to ensure Romanian Simona Halep could not swipe the number one ranking
and with it top seeding in the French Open starting on May 26.
But Osaka’s top spot was guaranteed when reigning Roland Garros
champion Halep fell to Czech Marketa Vondrousova 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 in the
second round.
“Of course, it’s a relief (to be top seed at Roland Garros) because that definitely was a very big goal of mine.”
Osaka, who broke through by winning the US Open last year and
Australian Open this year, did not survive the second round in her two
previous appearances in Rome.
Before this year Osaka had never made the last eight of any clay
tournament, but has now also reached the semi-finals in Stuttgart and
quarter-finals in Madrid as she warms up for the second Grand Slam of
the season in Paris.
Reactions: |