Andreescu in Bad Homburg final after Halep withdraws

BAD HOMBURG, Germany (AP) — Bianca Andreescu reached her first final in more than a year after Simona Halep withdrew ahead of their semifinal match at the Bad Homburg Open on Friday with a neck injury.

In her first grass-court final, Andreescu will play Alize Cornet or Caroline Garcia on Saturday.

"I am sorry that I had to withdraw today before my semifinal match," Halep wrote on Instagram. "But unfortunately I woke up this morning with a blocked neck and this is not allowing me to perform to the best of my ability."

The 22-year-old Andreescu beat top-seeded Daria Kasatkina 6-4, 6-1 in the quarterfinals.

The Canadian's last title win was her breakout U.S. Open victory in 2019 when she beat Serena Williams. Her last final was against Ash Barty in Miami in April 2021, when she retired with an ankle injury.

Andreescu, who took time off to recharge and work on her mental health, missed the Australian Open before returning to the tour in April.

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