By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, February 3, 2017
“I’m really disappointed that I had to withdraw from quarterfinal today, but my knee is not okay,” said top-seeded Simona Halep, who pulled out of St. Petersburg before today's quarterfinal.
Photo credit: St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy/@Formula TX
Top-seeded Simona Halep stepped out of St. Petersburg suffering from a left knee injury.
Halep withdrew prior to her scheduled St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy quarterfinal with Natalia Vikhlyantseva today citing the recurring knee injury.
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“I’m really disappointed that I had to withdraw from quarterfinal today, but my knee is not okay,” Halep told the media in St. Petersburg. “After my last match I felt pain, and I feel it’s risky to continue here. I’ve had a great time at St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy. I had the chance to visit famous places like the Faberge museum – which was amazing.
“The city and the tournament are beautiful and I look forward to coming back here and hopefully next time I will be better on court and also be healthy.”
The former French Open finalist defeated Ana Konjuh, 6-4, 7-6 (2), in her St. Petersburg opener. That was Halep’s first match since she managed just four games in an Australian Open first-round loss to 52nd-ranked American Shelby Rogers.
The 25-year-old Romanian told the media she’s been pained by left knee tendinitis playing the WTA Finals in Singapore last fall.
Halep’s withdrawal sends Russian wild card Vikhlyantseva into the semifinals against Kristina Mladenovic.
World No. 51 Mladenovic snapped defending champion Roberta Vinci’s six-match St. Petersburg winning streak with a 6-1, 6-4, victory. The sixth-seeded Italian was bidding to defend a WTA title for the first time in her career.
Mladenovic, who knocked fourth-seeded Venus Williams out in the second round, won her lone prior meeting with semifinal opponent Vikhlyantseva.