Naomi Osaka pulls out of Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo as a consequence of sickness on Thursday

Muricas News  — 

4-time grand slam champion Naomi Osaka withdrew from her second-round match in opposition to Beatriz Haddad Maia on the Pan Pacific Open on Thursday as a consequence of sickness, ending her title protection on the event.

“I'm actually sorry that I'm not capable of compete as we speak,” Osaka mentioned in a press release to the WTA.

“It’s an honor to have the ability to play on the Toray Pan Pacific Open in entrance of the superb followers right here in Japan. This has and all the time can be a particular event for me and I want I may have stepped on court docket as we speak, however my physique received’t let me. Thanks for all of your help this week and I'll see you subsequent yr”

The previous world No. 1 was affected by stomach ache, Reuters reported, after she superior to the second spherical when her opponent Daria Saville suffered a knee damage.

Osaka has endured an injury-plagued season, failing to win a couple of match at a single event since she reached the ultimate of the Miami Open in April.

She withdrew from the semifinals of the Melbourne Summer time Set 1 event in January with an stomach damage, missed your entire grass court docket season as a consequence of an Achilles damage and withdrew from her opening match of the Canadian Open with a again damage.

“This yr has not been the very best yr for me, however I’ve discovered rather a lot about myself,” Osaka instructed reporters earlier than the beginning of the Pan Pacific Open.

“Life is ups and downs, and this yr was extra down than up, however total, I’m fairly proud of the place I'm now.”

As a consequence of her damage issues this yr, Osaka has fallen from world No. 13 in January to world No. 48 and has not received a grand slam because the 2021 Australian Open.

“It was type of exhausting at first, simply because I really feel like I needs to be someplace the place I’m clearly presently not,” she mentioned.

“I believe for me it’s extra about being at peace with myself. I do know that I’m right here for a motive.”

Haddad Maia will now advance to the quarterfinals by walkover the place she's going to face both Veronika Kudermetova or Fernanda Contreras Gómez.