Grigor Dimitrov has exited the Brisbane International through injury. Photo: Darren England/AAP
Brisbane: Defending champion Grigor Dimitrov was forced to retire from his semifinal match at the Brisbane International due to a groin injury. Dimitrov, who was trailing 6-4, 4-4 in the match against Jiri Lehecka, received medical treatment on his groin and hip area at Pat Rafter Arena. After stepping off the court for further evaluation, Dimitrov briefly tried to continue the match but ultimately retired, giving Lehecka, 23, the opportunity to advance to his fourth ATP final.
Lehecka, who secured his first ATP singles title at last year’s Adelaide International, will now aim for his second Australian title.
The retirement marks a setback for Dimitrov, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the world and is a former world No. 3. He has only one week to recover before the Australian Open begins on January 12 in Melbourne.
Lehecka expressed his concern for Dimitrov, saying, "I hope it's nothing serious for Grigor. The first set and the first half of the second set had a good level of play. I would have preferred to finish the match in a different way, but I hope he'll be all right."
The second semi final between Opelka and Mpetshi Perricard gets underway from 9:30 pm AEDT.
With PTI inputs