Romanian tennis player Simona Halep withdrew from the tournament in Linz, due to an injury, before the semifinal on Thursday, thus Jaqueline Cristian will play her first WTA final in her career.
"Unfortunately I am not able to play in my semifinal after injuring my knee in my match yesterday. I would do anything to be able to play, but it is swollen and painful and playing will only make it worse. I want to say a huge thank you to the tournament and fans here @WTALinz," wrote Halep on her Twitter account.
Jaqueline Cristian (23 years old, #100 WTA), which entered this week for the first time the top 100, will play her first WTA final in her career, the Romanian player coming from the qualifiers at Linz. She thus equals the performance managed by Coco Gauff two years prior, also in Linz, where the American managed to win the title.
Halep (30 years old, #22 WTA) injured herself in the match on Wednesday, against Italian Jasmine Paolini, won 4-6, 7-5, 6-0, after two hours and 13 minutes.
Halep thus concludes the season without a WTA title, for the first time in eight years, this being the first year she will not be in the top 20 after this period.
Help will receive for her performance a checque worth 8,145 euro and 110 points.
Jaqueline Cristian qualified to the semifinals of the 189,708-dollar WTA 250 tournament in Linz (Austria), on Wednesday evening, after defeating Russian player Veronika Kudermetova, 6-3, 7-6 (5).
In the final, Jaqueline Cristian will meet an American player, the winner between Danielle Collins and Alison Riske.