OSAKA, Japan — Naomi Osaka withdrew from her quarterfinal match at the Japan Open on Friday due to a left leg injury.
Her withdrawal before the match allowed Jaqueline Cristian to qualify for the semi-finals thanks to a forfeit, the WTA circuit said.
Tournament organizers said top-seeded Osaka had not recovered from the injury suffered late in her second-round match. This will be Cristian’s third semi-final appearance of the year and his first on a surface other than clay.
Before the injury, Osaka had victories over Wakana Sonobe and 2024 champion Suzan Lamens.
After splitting the first two sets with Lamens, Osaka took a 5-0 lead in the third. But during a rally with Lamens, Osaka stopped with an apparent problem in her left leg. She won the point after Lamens sent a backhand wide, but called a medical timeout after the next point.
Osaka, a four-time major winner, returned to the court with a wrapped left thigh and limitations in her movements, but managed to close out her third match point.
Osaka lost in the second round of the China Open in late September and also lost in the second round of the Wuhan Open last week.
In another quarterfinal on Friday at the Japan Open, 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez defeated Rebecca Šramková 7-6 (2), 6-3.
