Two-time champion Naomi Osaka has withdrawn from the third round of the Australian Open, shortly before she faces qualifier Maddison Inglis at home.
Osaka, 28, of Japan, said he injured his left abdomen when he withdrew from the match.
The announcement comes about two hours before the pair are expected to head to Rod Laver Arena for a match on Saturday night.
“I had to make the difficult decision to withdraw from the tournament to address issues my body needed attention after the last match,” Osaka, the 16th seed, wrote on Instagram.
“I’m excited to keep going and this run means a lot to me so it breaks my heart to have to stop here but I can’t risk causing any further damage so I can get back on the field.”
The 28-year-old Inglis is ranked 168th in the world and has reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
After being overlooked for a wild card by Tennis Australia, she made it through three rounds of qualifying and will now face Poland’s second seed Iga Swiatek or Russia’s 31st seed Anna Kalinskaya for a place in the quarter-finals.
