World No 1 Osaka pulls out of Qatar Open with back injury
TOKYO: World no. 1 Naomi Osaka has pulled out of next week’s Qatar Open with an unspecified back injury, tournament organisers said on Tuesday.
Osaka, who was set play for the first time since her Australian Open triumph, has suffered with back problems in the past.
“I am sorry to have withdraw from Doha this year as I was looking forward to playing and seeing my fans there,” the 21-year-old said in a statement.
“I wish everyone a great week and hope to see everyone next year.” Simona Halep, the Romanian who Osaka replaced as world number one, Karolina Pliskova and Angelique Kerber head up the field in Doha from February 11.
INDIA DRAW PAKISTAN
NAGPUR: The Indian Davis Cup team was on Wednesday drawn to meet Pakistan in an away tie, which could well be shifted to a neutral venue provided the central government sticks to its cur- rent policy of not allowing sporting teams to travel to the neighbouring country.
No Indian Davis Cup squad has travelled to Pakistan since March 1964 and in that tie, held in Lahore, India had won 4-0.
If the tie has to be shifted at a neutral venue, the ITF has to agree. However the global body may not agree since Pakistan hosted Uzbekistan and Korea in Islamabad last year.
GUNNESWARAN IN RD 3
CHENNAI: Prajnesh Gunneswaran powered his way to the third round of the Chennai Open Challenger 80 here on Wednesday. Gunneswaran beat Daniel Altmaier of Germany 6-4, 6-4. Saketh Myneni beat N Vijay Sundar Prashanth 6-4, 6-3.