A Day Without Tennis: Double Walkovers Rock Adelaide International, Spotlighting the Toll of the Tour
“Gah. Kudermetova also withdraws, giving Bencic a walkover. No women’s semifinals today in Adelaide.”
— Ed Salmon (@fogmount) on Twitter
When Semifinals Become No-Shows
Picture this: it’s January 13, 2023, and tennis fans in Adelaide are settling in for what should have been a cracking day of semifinals at the WTA 500 event. Four top players ready to battle it out for a spot in the final. Instead? Complete silence on the courts. Both women’s semifinals got wiped out by walkovers as Veronika Kudermetova and Paula Badosa pulled out with injuries, handing Belinda Bencic and Daria Kasatkina free passes to the final.
You don’t see this every day in tennis. Actually, you almost never see this. It left fans scratching their heads, broadcasters scrambling for content, and everyone wondering: what’s going on with the tour?
How It All Unfolded
First, Paula Badosa had to pull the plug on her semifinal against Kasatkina. The Spanish star had just survived an absolute marathon against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarters—two and a half hours of brutal tennis that left her with a right thigh injury. You could see the writing on the wall.
Then came the real shocker. Kudermetova, who was playing some serious tennis and sitting pretty in the top 10, also called it quits. The Russian had her own three-hour battle royale against Danielle Collins in the quarters, and her left hip was telling her enough was enough. Just like that, Bencic got a walkover too.
Ed Salmon’s tweet pretty much summed up how everyone felt: “No women’s semifinals today in Adelaide.” You could almost hear the collective sigh from tennis fans everywhere.
Why This Actually Matters
Look, walkovers happen in tennis—it’s part of the game. But both semifinalists pulling out at a WTA 500 event? That’s rarer than a Federer underarm serve. The last time we saw all the seeds make it to the quarters at this level was way back in 2017, but double walkovers in the semis? That’s basically uncharted territory.
Here’s the thing though—both Badosa and Kudermetova were staring down the Australian Open, just days away. When you’re dealing with injuries and you’ve got a Grand Slam on the horizon, the math is pretty simple. Risk making things worse for a WTA title, or play it smart and save yourself for Melbourne where the real points and prize money are waiting?
“I’m really disappointed that I had to withdraw today because I was really looking forward to the match. 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.”
The Players: Where They Stood
Belinda Bencic
The Swiss star rolled into Adelaide in great form. Bencic’s always been one of the smartest players on tour—Olympic gold medalist, former world No. 4, and someone who knows how to win the big matches. Getting a walkover meant she’d be fresh for the final, though maybe missing that match rhythm you only get from tough battles.
Daria Kasatkina
Kasatkina’s one of those crafty players who can make anyone’s life difficult on court. She actually led their head-to-head 3-2 going into the final, but Bencic had beaten her the only time they’d played on outdoor hardcourts in Adelaide back in 2020. In the end, Bencic was just too sharp, rolling through the final 6–0, 6–2 to grab her seventh career title.
Veronika Kudermetova and Paula Badosa
Both players showed real grit just getting to the semis. Kudermetova had back-to-back three-setters, including that epic with Collins that went the distance. Badosa battled through her own tough match with Haddad Maia. But sometimes your body just says no, and with the Australian Open looming, they made the smart call.
The Big Picture: Is the Tour Too Much?
This whole Adelaide situation really got people talking about something that’s been bubbling under the surface for years—is the tennis calendar just too packed? You’ve got these big tournaments crammed right before Grand Slams, and players are constantly having to choose between chasing titles now or staying healthy for the majors.
Fans were frustrated—Ed Salmon’s “Gah” pretty much captured the mood—but most people get it. Tennis is brutal on the body, and when you’re looking at a Grand Slam just around the corner, you can’t really blame players for being careful.
It raises some tough questions though. Should the WTA spread things out more before the Slams? Is there a way to keep the commercial side happy while not grinding players into the ground? These aren’t easy answers.
What We Learned From a Day Without Tennis
For the Adelaide tournament, losing both semifinals was obviously a nightmare scenario. For the players, it was just reality—sometimes you have to make the hard choice to step away. For fans, it was a reminder that these athletes are human beings dealing with real physical limits, not just entertainment machines.
As everyone turned their attention to Melbourne, what happened in Adelaide felt like a wake-up call. The road to Grand Slam success isn’t just about winning matches—it’s about knowing when not to play them too.
The Final Word
Bencic ended up lifting the trophy—her seventh career title—and both she and Kasatkina headed to the Australian Open with some extra rest in the tank. For Badosa and Kudermetova, it was all about getting healthy and ready for the year’s first major.
Tennis throws you curveballs sometimes. On this particular day in Adelaide, the story wasn’t about the matches that got played, but about the tough decisions that didn’t happen on court. Sometimes the most important victories are the ones where you know when to walk away.
“No women’s semifinals today in Adelaide.”
Sometimes the best tennis stories are the ones that never make it to the court.
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A Day Without Tennis: Double Walkovers Rock Adelaide International, Spotlighting the Toll of the Tour
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\"Gah. Kudermetova also withdraws, giving Bencic a walkover. No women's semifinals today in Adelaide.\"
\n — Ed Salmon (@fogmount) on Twitter
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When Semifinals Become No-Shows
\n
Picture this: it's January 13, 2023, and tennis fans in Adelaide are settling in for what should have been a cracking day of semifinals at the WTA 500 event. Four top players ready to battle it out for a spot in the final. Instead? Complete silence on the courts. Both women's semifinals got wiped out by walkovers as Veronika Kudermetova and Paula Badosa pulled out with injuries, handing Belinda Bencic and Daria Kasatkina free passes to the final.
\n
You don't see this every day in tennis. Actually, you almost never see this. It left fans scratching their heads, broadcasters scrambling for content, and everyone wondering: what's going on with the tour?
\n\n
How It All Unfolded
\n
First, Paula Badosa had to pull the plug on her semifinal against Kasatkina. The Spanish star had just survived an absolute marathon against Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarters—two and a half hours of brutal tennis that left her with a right thigh injury. You could see the writing on the wall.
\n
Then came the real shocker. Kudermetova, who was playing some serious tennis and sitting pretty in the top 10, also called it quits. The Russian had her own three-hour battle royale against Danielle Collins in the quarters, and her left hip was telling her enough was enough. Just like that, Bencic got a walkover too.
\n
Ed Salmon's tweet pretty much summed up how everyone felt: \"No women's semifinals today in Adelaide.\" You could almost hear the collective sigh from tennis fans everywhere.
\n\n
Why This Actually Matters
\n
Look, walkovers happen in tennis—it's part of the game. But both semifinalists pulling out at a WTA 500 event? That's rarer than a Federer underarm serve. The last time we saw all the seeds make it to the quarters at this level was way back in 2017, but double walkovers in the semis? That's basically uncharted territory.
\n
Here's the thing though—both Badosa and Kudermetova were staring down the Australian Open, just days away. When you're dealing with injuries and you've got a Grand Slam on the horizon, the math is pretty simple. Risk making things worse for a WTA title, or play it smart and save yourself for Melbourne where the real points and prize money are waiting?
\n
\n
\"I'm really disappointed that I had to withdraw today because I was really looking forward to the match. 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.\"
\n
\n
\n\n
The Players: Where They Stood
\n
Belinda Bencic
\n
The Swiss star rolled into Adelaide in great form. Bencic's always been one of the smartest players on tour—Olympic gold medalist, former world No. 4, and someone who knows how to win the big matches. Getting a walkover meant she'd be fresh for the final, though maybe missing that match rhythm you only get from tough battles.
\n\n
Daria Kasatkina
\n
Kasatkina's one of those crafty players who can make anyone's life difficult on court. She actually led their head-to-head 3-2 going into the final, but Bencic had beaten her the only time they'd played on outdoor hardcourts in Adelaide back in 2020. In the end, Bencic was just too sharp, rolling through the final 6–0, 6–2 to grab her seventh career title.
\n\n
Veronika Kudermetova and Paula Badosa
\n
Both players showed real grit just getting to the semis. Kudermetova had back-to-back three-setters, including that epic with Collins that went the distance. Badosa battled through her own tough match with Haddad Maia. But sometimes your body just says no, and with the Australian Open looming, they made the smart call.
\n\n
The Big Picture: Is the Tour Too Much?
\n
This whole Adelaide situation really got people talking about something that's been bubbling under the surface for years—is the tennis calendar just too packed? You've got these big tournaments crammed right before Grand Slams, and players are constantly having to choose between chasing titles now or staying healthy for the majors.
\n
Fans were frustrated—Ed Salmon's \"Gah\" pretty much captured the mood—but most people get it. Tennis is brutal on the body, and when you're looking at a Grand Slam just around the corner, you can't really blame players for being careful.
\n
It raises some tough questions though. Should the WTA spread things out more before the Slams? Is there a way to keep the commercial side happy while not grinding players into the ground? These aren't easy answers.
\n\n
What We Learned From a Day Without Tennis
\n
For the Adelaide tournament, losing both semifinals was obviously a nightmare scenario. For the players, it was just reality—sometimes you have to make the hard choice to step away. For fans, it was a reminder that these athletes are human beings dealing with real physical limits, not just entertainment machines.
\n
As everyone turned their attention to Melbourne, what happened in Adelaide felt like a wake-up call. The road to Grand Slam success isn't just about winning matches—it's about knowing when not to play them too.
\n\n
The Final Word
\n
Bencic ended up lifting the trophy—her seventh career title—and both she and Kasatkina headed to the Australian Open with some extra rest in the tank. For Badosa and Kudermetova, it was all about getting healthy and ready for the year's first major.
\n
Tennis throws you curveballs sometimes. On this particular day in Adelaide, the story wasn't about the matches that got played, but about the tough decisions that didn't happen on court. Sometimes the most important victories are the ones where you know when to walk away.
\n\n
\n
\"No women's semifinals today in Adelaide.\"
\n
\n
\n
Sometimes the best tennis stories are the ones that never make it to the court.
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