New Haven (US), Aug 21 (IANS): World top-seeded Romanian Simona Halep withdrew from a US Open tune-up event due to a sore right Achilles tendon, the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) said.
"I really wanted to play it and I saw that many fans bought tickets to see me here, but I feel very sore with my Achilles, and I need some rest," the Romanian said in a statement on Monday released by the tournament played at the Connecticut Tennis Centre in Yale, here on Monday.
Winner of this year's tournaments in Shenzhen, Roland Garros and Montreal and finalist of the Australian Open, Rome and Cincinnati, Halep won the title in New Haven back in 2013 but has not participated in this event of the tournament since 2014, reports Efe news.
Halep's position will be taken by Swiss Belinda Bencic, who will face Italian Camila Giorgi.
Giorgi on Monday defeated Romanian Ana Bogdan 6-3 and 6-2.