TOKYO: Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen moved into the Tokyo final but her opponent Sofia Kenin was left sweating on her fitness after retiring from her doubles match on Saturday.
Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, beat Britain's Katie Boulter 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the Pan Pacific Open final and was then joined by China's Zheng, who beat Russian Diana Shnaider 7-6 (7/5), 6-3.
Kenin went back out on court to play her doubles semi-final with partner Bethanie Mattek-Sands, only to retire with a leg injury while 5-2 down in the first set.
Kenin said she hurt herself towards the end of her match against Boulter but would do her "best to get ready for tomorrow."
"The plan is to play," said the American.
"I'll do everything I can for tomorrow."
Kenin was visibly distressed as she received treatment for her injury in her doubles match, and later reappeared with ice strapped to her upper leg.
"It was a long rally and she hit a backhand down the line pretty flat," she said of the incident in her match against Boulter.
"I tried to go for it and then I felt something and after that I was trying to somehow get through it.
"I'm not going to lie, if it had been a few more games, I don't know what would have happened."
Zheng took a 4-0 lead in the first set against Shnaider but let her opponent back into it and was forced into a tiebreak.
The Chinese world number seven came through and then took the second set to reach her fourth final of the season, including the Paris Games.
"The match was tough," said the 22-year-old Zheng.
"I had a lot of set points in the first set but I wasn't able to take the chance. Generally, I'm just happy to win this match."
Zheng reached the final in Tokyo two years ago, losing to Russia's Liudmila Samsonova.
"Two years later, I'm here again in the final," said Zheng.
"I'm going to try one more time, so let's see what's going to happen tomorrow." - AFP