Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic advanced to the last 16 of the Australian Open after two-time champion Naomi Osaka retired during yesterday’s third-round match with an abdominal strain that has affected her since the start of the season.
Bencic took the first set in a tiebreak 7-6 (7/3) before Japan’s Osaka, who had also pulled out of the Auckland final earlier this month due to an abdominal injury, withdrew from the contest.
Osaka had said the result from an magnetic resonance imaging scan before the tournament “wasn’t fantastic,” but came through two rounds, beating Caroline Garcia and Karolina Muchova in three-set matches.
Photo: AFP
However, the clash against Bencic proved to be a step too far for the 27-year-old who said her withdrawal seemed “inevitable” after the strain she put on her abdomen in the earlier rounds.
“It’s not fantastic and I’m feeling not great, not bad. In the middle somewhere,” Osaka told reporters.
“It was a little hectic trying to manage it [during the tournament] because obviously my draw was quite tough,” she said.
“I was going to therapy every day and into the night. So the days have been very long for me. Obviously after my last match it got way worse,” she added.
Bencic broke early to go 1-0 up, but Osaka showed promise and quickly found her range to keep the Swiss at bay with an effective first serve and deep groundstrokes while she also held her nerve on a crucial hold to lead 5-2.
However, Osaka, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021, was visibly struggling and she lost her composure when she failed to serve out the set as Bencic grew in confidence with two searing returns.
Osaka then called for a physiotherapist during a changeover and although she initially soldiered on after treatment, she could not continue after the tiebreak.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS