Osaka retires with injury from Aus Open warm-up

Naomi Osaka retired from the final of the Auckland Classic with an abdominal injury Sunday, a blow to the Japanese star just a week before the start of the Australian Open.

- Agencies

AUCKLAND:

Playing in her first WTA final for three years, against Denmark's Clara Tauson, the four-time Grand Slam champion called for the physio after taking the opening set 6-4 and pulled out shortly afterwards.

Osaka's sudden withdrawal from the Australian Open warm-up event came as a shock after playing with no apparent problem in the 35-minute opening set, unleashing some powerful groundstrokes to break her opponent in the third and fifth games. At the changeover, the 27-year-old stood and performed a series of stretches during a medical timeout.