Sydney Jan. 13 (BUS): Anas Jaber retired with his lower back injury in the quarter-finals of the Sydney Classic on Thursday, allowing Annette Kontaveit to advance.
Fourth seed Kontaveit advanced after the Tunisian seventh seed lost the opening set 6-4 and decided to stop soon after, according to the Associated Press.
Jaber received a medical respite after the set and then tried to start the second set. But after a miss and a first serve miss, she walked into the net for a hug at the end of the match. She is the ninth seed in the Australian Open, which begins next week.
Jabeur reached the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park in 2020. “I really hope that Onnes will be fine next week and not be too dangerous,” Kontaveit said.
“The first set was really competitive and we had some tough matches before, but she was always ahead. I was really happy to get the set and that I was playing the way I was playing.”
In an effort to reach the fourth consecutive final, Kontaveit will face third-seeded Barbora Krejsikova, who defeated Caroline Garcia 6-0, 6-2. Krejcikova lost only eight matches in two matches.
Second seed Garbine Muguruza lost Daria Kasatkina 6-4 6-4 in the quarter-finals. The Russian will next meet with fifth seed Paula Padusa, who defeated Belinda Bencic 7-6 (6), 3-6, 6-3.
At the men’s tournament in Sydney, former top seed Andy Murray advanced to the semi-finals when eighth seed David Goffin retired at the start of the second set. Murray took the first set 6-2.
Next time, Murray will face Riley Opelka. The fourth-seeded American defeated Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (4), 6-2.
Top seed Aslan Karatsev advanced to the round of four by defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. The Russian, who reached the Australian Open semi-finals to qualify, will face third seed Dan Evans, who beat Maxime Cressi 6-4, 7-6 (5).
At the Adelaide International, former US Open champion Marin Cilic defeated Tommy Ball 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 and reached the semifinals for the second week in a row.
In a strong server match, Cilic sent 14 aces to Paul’s eight and won 84% of first serve points.
The Croatian will next meet with Tanasi Kokinakis, after the Adelaide native beat Aleksandar Vukic 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.
Third seed Karen Khachanov, runner-up to the Adelaide International last week, lost to 58th seed Arthur Rinderknech of France 7-6 (7), 7-5.
Rinderknech’s semi-final match will be against Corentin Moutet, who beat Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s draw, third seed Coco Gauff defeated Anna Congo 6-3, 6-4. She will next face Madison Keys, who defeated eighth seed Lyudmila Samsonova 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Fourth seed Tamara Zidansek beat Lauren Davis 7-6 (4) 7-6 (7) to set up a semi-final match against Alison Riske, who advanced when Madison Pringle retired 3-3 in the first set of the match.
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