Naomi Osaka pulls out of Melbourne semifinal

FILE PHOTO: Tennis – WTA 250 – Melbourne Summer Set – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia – January 4, 2022 Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts during her round of 32 match against France’s Alize Cornet REUTERS/Loren Elliott

MELBOURNE— Top-seeded Naomi Osaka pulled out of her Melbourne Summer Set 1 WTA event semi-final against Veronika Kudermetova on Saturday, citing the intensity of recent games as cause for her withdrawal.

“Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took,” Naomi Osaka said  on Twitter.

“I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!”

Sad to withdraw due to injury from my match today, my body got a shock from playing back to back intense matches after the break I took. Thank you for all the love this past week ❤️ I’ll try to rest up and I’ll see you soon!

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) January 8, 2022

Four-times Grand Slam champion Osaka beat German Andrea Petkovic 6-1 7-5 in the quarter-final on Friday, less than two weeks out from the start of the Australian Open.

The Japanese former world number one has struggled for form since withdrawing from the French Open in May following a row with tournament officials over required media appearances, which she said had a negative impact on her.

Osaka also pulled out of a warm-up event in the build-up to last year’s Australian Open with “a niggling injury.”

The Australian Open begins on Jan. 17.