Injuries knocked out two players in the quarterfinals of the ATP Open on Friday in Austin, Texas.
Third-seeded Danielle Collins of the United States had to stop her match against sixth-seeded Xiyu Wang of China because of a lower back injury. Wang won the first set 6-2 before Collins shook her opponent’s hand at the net.
“Sometimes this happens when the weather changes suddenly,” Collins said, according to the Austin American-Statesman. “I think that played a role. That’s arthritis for you. … It creeps up on you sometimes.”
Anastasia Sevastova was in front of Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-4, 2-1 before falling on a net approach and hurting her left leg. One point later, she retired from the match.
Xiyu Wang’s semifinal foe will be top-seeded Anhelina Kalinina of Ukraine, who rallied past fifth-seeded Diane Parry of France 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.
Schmiedlova will face eighth-seeded Yue Yuan, who won an all-Chinese matchup against Yafan Wang 6-3, 7-5.
Cymbiotika San Diego Open
Top-seeded Jessica Pegula of the United States downed Russia’s Anna Blinkova 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the semifinals at San Diego.
Pegula is competing for the first time in a month after missing action due to a neck injury. Her next opponent will be either fourth-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia or sixth-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, who met in the late Friday night match.
The other semifinal will feature third-seeded Emma Navarro of the United States and Katie Boulter of Great Britain. Navarro blitzed Australia’s Daria Saville 6-4, 6-2, and Boulter cruised past seventh-seeded Donna Vekic of Croatia 6-4, 6-3.
–Field Level Media