Cincinnati: World number one Naomi Osaka will “probably” defend her US Open title, even if it means defying her doctor’s orders, she said after retiring from the Cincinnati Masters with a knee injury on Friday.
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Osaka was trailing American Sofia Kenin in the third set of their quarter-final in Cincinnati when she sought treatment on her heavily-strapped left knee. After briefly returning to play, the Japanese star retired with Kenin leading 6-4 1-6 2-0.
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Osaka’s withdrawal comes after Serena Williams, the woman she beat in a tumultuous final at Flushing Meadows last year, pulled out of Cincinnati with back problems.
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The injury has also loosened Osaka’s grip on the top ranking, with world number two Ash Barty poised to reclaim it if the Australian makes the final.
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“I really don’t know what’s going on with my leg right now,” Osaka told reporters.
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“It sucks, especially since I didn’t want to get injured this close to the Open, and now I’m kind of worried a little bit.
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“The thing is, my pain tolerance is really high, so that’s usually why I play through things that apparently I shouldn’t.” Osaka said she “felt it wasn’t safe” to continue against Kenin ahead of the US Open starting Monday week.
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“I feel like this might have that one percent chance of me not being able to play, and that’s what’s concerning me.
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“In the end, I’m going to play even if the doctor says no, probably.” Osaka’s retirement sent Kenin through to face fellow American Madison Keys in Saturday’s semi-final.
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Keys faced only two break points in beating Venus Williams 6-2, 6-3 in the evening encounter.
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Barty will face Russian veteran Svetlana Kuznetsova in the other semi-final after rallying to a 5-7 6-2 6-0 victory over Greek Maria Sakkari.
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The Australian had surged to a 4-1 lead in the first set before she stumbled with unforced errors, with Sakkari lifting to take control through a slew of backhand winners.
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World No.1 Novak Djokovic wore down Lucas Pouille after an even first set, dispatching the Frenchman 7-6(2) 6-1 in a quarter-final.
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The match was much closer than when the pair met in the Australian Open semi-finals in January, when Djokovic conceded only four games before going on to win the title.
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He will have less than 24 hours to recover for a semi-final against Daniil Medvedev, who continued his recent hot form, ousting Russian compatriot Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-3 in barely an hour.
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