Why did Naomi Osaka pull out of Australian Open warm-up event after reaching semi-final?

Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka pulled out of the Australian Open warm-up event on Saturday despite reaching the semi-final of the competition. Osaka was all set to play Russia's Veronika Kudermetova in an evening match today but she decided to withdraw mid-event. 

Why did Naomi Osaka pull out of the Australian Open warm-up event?

Osaka withdrew from the competition due to an injury. The Australian Open's official Twitter handle announced on Saturday that the reigning champion will not play the semi-final against Kudermetova because of an abdominal injury.   

"I had a lot of fun playing here in Melbourne. Unfortunately, I have an abdominal injury which I need to rest and prepare for the #AusOpen. Thank you to the tournament and the fans," Osaka was quoted as saying on Australian Open's official Twitter handle. 

Osaka had reached the semi-final after beating Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-1, 7-5 on Friday. Earlier this week, Osaka defeated France's Alize Cornet 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in her first warm-up match. She then beat Belgium’s Maryna Zanevska 6-1, 6-1 to advance to the next stage. 

However, Osaka's plans for the main event have now been thrown into disarray as she was forced to withdraw from the semi-final due to an abdominal injury. The Australian Open is all set to begin on January 17 with the final slated to be held on January 30. Australian Open is the first grand slam competition of the year. 

Image: AP