Osaka advances unopposed into the quarterfinals of the major tournament in Doha

The Japanese tennis player and former world number one, Naomi Osaka (WTA 747), effortlessly advanced to the quarterfinals of the hardcourt WTA 1000 tournament in Doha, Qatar.

In the third round, Naomi was scheduled to play against Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (WTA 37). However, Lesia withdrew from the match due to an elbow injury.

Tsurenko commented on her injury, saying:

"Unfortunately, I woke up today with significant pain in my elbow. I've been feeling this issue since the first practice session in Doha, as there's a very specific combination of Dunlop AO balls and the rough court surface, which wears out the balls very quickly. Some discomfort was present in both of my matches here, but today the inflammation intensified, and the pain became stronger.

It's a pity that I couldn't play, and I hope it won't affect my schedule. Right now, I'll focus on recovery – I know what needs to be done, but it's hard to say how many days it will take. I'll try to compete in Dubai, and then I have tournaments in the USA," Tsurenko said.

In the quarterfinals of the Doha tournament, Osaka will face Karolina Pliskova.

At the start of the competition in Qatar, Osaka defeated Caroline Garcia, and in the second round, she prevailed over Petra Martic.