Simona Halep pulls out of Cincinatti with thigh injury - just 12 days before start of US Open

Updated 17/08/2022 at 22:10 GMT

Simona Halep's participation at the US Open may be in doubt after the Romanian was forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open due to a thigh strain. Halep had been expected to go deep in Ohio, having won last week's Canadian Open. As a result of Halep's withdrawal, Veronika Kudermetova receives a walkover into the last 16 to face either Paula Badosa or Ajla Tomljanovic.

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Simona Halep could be a doubt for the upcoming US Open after being forced to withdraw from the Cincinnati Open with a thigh injury.

Halep had been due to play Veronika Kudermetova on Wednesday, but will now hand the latter a walkover to the last 16, where either Paula Badosa or Ajla Tomljanovic lie in wait.

Halep, working with Serena Williams' ex-coach Patrick Mouratoglou since April, has rediscovered some of her best form this summer, reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon - losing to eventual winner Elena Rybakina - and then winning the Canadian Open last week.

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But her momentum has been stalled by this news, which comes just twelve days before the final major of the year in New York.

Halep is not the only big name who will be turning up at Flushing Meadows with a question mark against her name.

French Open finalist and home hope Coco Gauff suffered an ankle injury that forced her to retire from her first-round match in Cincinnati against Marie Bouzkova - which she later played down - Naomi Osaka has had Achilles and back pain in recent weeks to go with her poor form, and Serena Williams is far from her best as she .

By contrast, Britain's Emma Raducanu appears to be emerging from her own slump at just the right time, hammering Williams and Victoria Azarenka in her first two matches in Cincinnati, and suddenly - ahead of her US Open title defence - looking like one of the form players on the tour.

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