Federer, Osaka Pull Out of Italian Open

May 17, 2019 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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Photo courtesy of USTA/Mike Lawrence

 

Both Roger Federer and Naomi Osaka withdrew from the Italian Open in Rome on Friday with a leg and hand injury, respectively.

“I am disappointed that I will not be able to compete today,” said Federer. “I am not 100 percent physically, and after consultation with my team, it was determined that I not play. Rome has always been one of my favorite cities to visit, and I hope to be back next year.”

Because of rain earlier in the week, Federer played two matches on Thursday and defeated Joao Sousa before downing Borna Coric in a three-set match that lasted nearly four hours. He said afterwards that he tweaked his leg after slipping on the baseline during his match against Coric.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was supposed to be Federer’s opponent on Friday, moves through to the semifinals.

Osaka, the top-ranked woman in the world, was ready to take on Kiki Bertens in the Rome quarterfinals on Friday but could not give it a go after feeling pain in her right hand.

“I woke up this morning and couldn’t really move my thumb,” said Osaka. “I tried to practice and grip my racket but I couldn’t, and I kept feeling this pain when I tried to move my hand in different directions.”

Osaka went on to say:

“I didn’t feel anything yesterday. That’s why I’m kind of confused right now because I literally woke up in the morning and couldn’t move my thumb. So I was like, maybe I slept on it and maybe it will go away, but it didn’t.”

As a result, Bertens, the recent Madrid champion, advances to the final four in Rome.

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
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