Japan’s Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from Saturday’s Western & Southern Open final due to a left hamstring injury, meaning Victoria Azarenka takes the title by walkover.
“I’m sorry to have to withdraw today with an injury,” said Osaka, who is currently on a Monday night schedule at the US Open where she is due to play fellow Japanese Misaki Doi in the first round.
“I pulled my left hamstring yesterday in the second set tiebreak and it has not recovered overnight as I had hoped.”
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Osaka had defeated Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the semifinal to set up the championship match against two-time Australian Open winner Azarenka, from Belarus, in the same New York Covid-19 quarantine bubble where the US Open begins on Monday.
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