Simona Halep withdrew from the WTA tournament in Linz due to an injury. She did so before the semifinal against co-national Jaqueline Cristian, who will play the first WTA final in her career.

“Unfortunately I am not able to play in my semifinal after injuring my knee in my match yesterday. I would do anything to be able to play, but it is swollen and painful and playing will only make it worse”, Halep wrote on Twitter.

Jaqueline Cristian (23, WTA 100) entered the top 100 for the first time. She will play the first WTA final of her career on Friday. Her opponent will be Alison Riske (31, WTA 73, United States).

Unfortunately I am not able to play in my semifinal after injuring my knee in my match yesterday. I would do anything to be able to play, but it is swollen and painful and playing will only make it worse. I want to say a huge thank you to the tournament and fans here @WTALinz https://t.co/ZBeatUChbt

— Simona Halep (@Simona_Halep) November 11, 2021