Injured Wang Qiang retires from Wuhan Open semifinal match

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Wang Qiang's hopes of becoming the first ever home finalist in the Wuhan Open were dashed on Friday, after she retired with injury while trailing 2-6, 1-2 in her semifinal against Estonia's Anett Kontaveit.

Wang started the match brightly, breaking Kontaveit's serve to race into a 2-0 lead to the delight of the home crowd on center court. However, that was as good as it got for the 26-year-old Tianjin native, who appeared to be struggling physically once Kontaveit assumed the lead in the set.

Trailing 2-5, Wang requested a medical timeout, and had more athletic tape applied to the upper part of her left thigh. But the Chinese continued to struggle in the second set, and despite rallying to break Kontaveit's serve, Wang appeared visibly distressed and ultimately had to retire.

Wang Qiang receives treatment during the Wuhan Open semifinal match in Wuhan, China, September 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

Speaking after the match, Wang said that she had been struggling to remain in peak condition. "From the third day (of the tournament), my left leg didn't feel very good. Despite all the bandages, my leg still felt very painful when I was stretching and running."

Wang competed in more than a dozen matches in the past three weeks. It remains to be seen whether Wang's injury will prevent her participation in next week's China Open in Beijing.

Anett Kontaveit (R) consoles Wang Qiang after their Wuhan Open semifinal match in Wuhan, China, September 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

"It's my first final this year. Of course it's really exciting. My first final in such a big tournament, it's definitely special," said Kontaveit, 22, who also commiserated with Wang after the game. "I told her I'm sorry that it had to end this way. I really hope she gets better. I really felt for her today."

In defeating Wang, Kontaveit got a slice of history, becoming the first Estonian to reach the final of a Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Premier 5 tournament.

Premier Tournaments are a category of tennis tournaments in the WTA tour, implemented since the reorganization of the schedule in 2009. They are divided into three levels with different prize awards: four "Premier Mandatory" events, five "Premier 5" events, and 12 "Premier" events. They all rank below the Grand Slam events and above the WTA International tournaments.

The five "Premier 5" events are in Doha, Rome, Cincinnati, Toronto/Montreal, and Wuhan. And China Open is a Premier Mandatory event.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency