WTA: Simona Halep cancels her participation in the WTA final

World number one Simona Halep has cancelled her participation in the seven million dollar WTA final (starting Sunday) in Singapore due to her ongoing back injury. The Dutch player Kiki Bertens moves up and completes the field of 8 players.

The Romanian had still travelled full of hope to the city-state south of Malaysia, but announced her renunciation on Thursday.

“That decision was tough,” Halep said, “I think it’s the first time I’ve had to cancel for such a big tournament. But it’s better for my health.” She hasn’t been able to train in recent weeks, Halep said, “so I can’t play at the level I need.”

For Halep, who will nevertheless finish the tennis season as number one, the Dutch player Kiki Bertens will be the eighth participant, who was completed on Wednesday by Ukrainian Jelena Switolina and Karolina Pliskova from the Czech Republic.

The other five players at the season finale of the Women’s Tour (21-28 October) are Wimbledon winner Angelique Kerber (Kiel), US Open surprise winner Naomi Osaka (Japan), Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic), defending champion Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) and Sloane Stephens (USA).

Julia Görges from Bad Oldeslo, currently number nine in the world, has not had a chance in the Race to Singapore for some time. Instead, the 29-year-old will defend her title at the “B World Championship” in Zhuhai, China (29 November to 5 December). She announced this on Wednesday.

Kerber had reached the final of the WTA Final 2016, but had to admit defeat to Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia. Prior to that, she had already participated in the WTA finals in Istanbul in 2012 and 2013 and in Singapore in 2015.