Injury forces Simona Halep to retire from Qatar Total Open
Foot injury forces Romanian star to retire from the Qatar Total Open
Images- Samer Rajjal
Simona Halep will not take any further part in the Qatar Total Open after the player announced that she will pull out of the tournament due to an ongoing foot injury.
The world number 2 confirmed the news in her post-match press conference following a comfortable 6-0, 6-4 win over American qualifier Cici Bellis.
"I am surprised that I could play three matches. I felt pain every day, so it was not easy to manage it. I didn't have much time to recover from this tournament. But today was too much, and I decided to stop" remarked the Romanian star.
When asked further on the injury Halep revealed that it was the same foot that gave her trouble during the Australian Open.
"It's not an easy (decision), but I talked to the doctor, my doctor. He said that I didn't have enough time to recover. I stayed only a few days, and I need more. The MRI shows that I have fluid and also tendonitis at the fourth toe. So I have just to take care of it and thinking about the health first."
The injury now means that Halep's semi-final opponent Garbiñe Muguruza will now progress to the Qatar Total Open final, which is set to take place on Sunday evening. Earlier on in the day, the Spanish number four seed came from a set down to beat Caroline Garcia 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.