Adelaide, Jan 13 (IANS) Daria Kasatkina and Belinda Bencic will square off for the Adelaide International 2 title on Saturday after both the players advanced via walkover in the semifinals.No.9 seed Paula Badosa withdrew from her match against Kasatkina due to a right thigh injury, and No. 6 seed Veronika Kudermetova pulled out ahead of her clash with Bencic due to a left hip injury on Friday."Veronika Kudermetova has withdrawn from tonight's semifinal due to a left hip injury," the organisers said in a tweet. The rivalry between Kasatkina and Bencic goes back to their junior days. At the pro level, Kasatkina leads the head-to-head 3-2, including their most recent meeting 6-2, 6-2 in the second round of Roland Garros 2021. However, Bencic was the victor in their only previous outdoor hardcourt encounter -- also in Adelaide, when she won 6-4, 6-4 in the 2020 first round and went on to reach the final.Spanish No.1 Badosa engaged in a gruelling quarterfinal match against Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia that stretched beyond two-and-a-half hours with a 74-minute first set followed by an even longer 81-minute second set.The Spaniard, however, is still looking ahead to playing at the year's first Grand Slam, the 2023 Australian Open, which begins on Monday in Melbourne."I'm really disappointed that I had to withdraw today because I was really looking forward to the match," WTA quoted Badosa as saying. "Yesterday when I was playing against (Beatriz Haddad Maia), it was a very tough match, especially physical, so I felt a little bit in my abductor. I felt like I pulled it a little bit."Today I feel a little bit worse, so yeah, I have the Australian Open ahead, and I hope I can recover for that."Mentally, I was feeling very well, as well. I played three really good matches. I think that helps me, as well, with my confidence for the tournaments ahead. Now it's something that I cannot control, so it is what it is."
--IANSbc/bsk
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