Rybakina withdraws before her semifinal against Noskova in Tokyo
Officially qualified for the WTA Finals, Elena Rybakina has withdrawn from the Tokyo tournament before her semifinal match.
Rybakina has accomplished her mission. Entered in the WTA 500 tournament in Tokyo this week with the goal of qualifying for the WTA Finals, the world No. 7 won the two matches she needed to participate in the Masters for the third consecutive year.
After her victories against the Canadian players Leylah Fernandez and Victoria Mboko, the 26-year-old player withdrew before facing Linda Noskova this Saturday in the semifinals.
"I'm really sorry I can't play today. I've had back problems since the beginning of the week and I can't play at 100%. I'm disappointed that my fans can't see me today but I hope to see you next year," Rybakina assured the WTA media to justify her withdrawal. She is now expected in Riyadh starting November 1st.
As for Noskova, the world No. 16, she benefits from this withdrawal to reach the final, her third of the season after the ones she lost in Prague against Marie Bouzkova and in Beijing against Amanda Anisimova.
After her victories against McCartney Kessler and Anna Kalinskaya, the Czech player will face Belinda Bencic or Sofia Kenin in an attempt to win the second title of her career after the WTA 500 in Monterrey last year.
Tokyo 
