Naomi Osaka has received a walkover at the Miami Open after her opponent Karolina Muchova was forced to withdraw from the WTA 1000 tournament.
Muchova was unable to compete in the match due to a left abdominal injury picked up on Saturday.
It means Osaka is into the fourth round of Miami Open for the second year running and will play either Ann Li or Alison Riske next.
Osaka reached the quarter-finals of the tournament last year in what was her best ever result at the tournament in Florida.
Muchova and the four-time Grand Slam winner were due to play each other for the third time in their careers with their head-to-head record tied on 1-1.
Muchova beat Osaka the last time to two met at the Madrid Masters in May last year 6-4 3-6 6-1.
Following her withdrawal, Muchova – who knocked out US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez in the second round – wrote on Twitter: “I’m sad that I cannot put up a battle against Naomi today.
“After a long break from tennis, 2 tough matches in row have been a lot for my body and I need longer to recover.
“Was nice to be part of the Miami Open again! I will be back on clay!”
Osaka beat Angelique Kerber 6-2 6-3 in a battle between two Grand Slam champions in the last-64 having already overcome Australian Astra Sharma 6-3 6-4 in the first round.
Italy’s Lucia Bronzetti is also through to the fourth round via a walkover as Russia’s Anna Kalinskaya withdrew thanks to a left arm injury
Bronzetti will face Australian wildcard Daria Saville next.
Saville was helped on her way through, too, as her opponent Katerina Siniakova – who knocked out Emma Raducanu in the second round in three sets – retired after losing the first seven games of their match.
