Andrea Petkovic handed Diamond Games title as Carla Suarez Navarro withdraws
Sunday 15 February 2015 15:56, UK
Andrea Petkovic won the Diamond Games title in Antwerp without breaking sweat after final opponent Carla Suarez Navarro pulled out injured.
The German claimed her sixth WTA Tour title and she will also move into the world top 10 when the rankings are released on Monday.
But for Suarez Navarro it was a painful Sunday in more ways than one, as she had to disappoint fans and tournament organisers by telling them she would be unable to play.
"I woke up in the morning and I felt this pain in my neck," said Suarez Navarro.
"I went to the physio to get treatment and tried to play at 11:30, then had physio again and tried to play again at 2:15, and I just couldn't serve. I couldn't play like I wanted. So I had to pull out of this final.
"I'm really sorry. I love this tournament and I had a great week. I really tried today."
Fans did get to see some action, with Petkovic playing an exhibition game against Belgian tennis great Kim Clijsters, the Antwerp tournament's director.
Petkovic reached a career high of ninth in the world in 2011 when she reached the quarter-finals of the Australian and US Open tournaments, but injuries dropped her outside the top 100 until a renaissance in 2014.
