World No. 1 Halep concerned about lingering back injury

WATCH—Highlights from the China Open:

Simona Halep says she's concerned about the lingering back injury that forced her to retire at Beijing, but will require more consultation to identify the exact problem.

The No. 1 stopped when down 6-1 in the first round of Beijing, her third consecutive first-round defeat.

"There is a pain. I couldn't move properly, so that's why I stopped. I don't know exactly what it is. I will go home. I will have an MRI and I will see," she was quoted as telling press at Beijing. "I'm just worried now."

Halep began experiencing the problem a week ago at Wuhan, but still decided to play the event.

"But here it was a bit too much," she added. "In Wuhan, the lower back was blocked so I couldn't move for two days there. Then with a lot of treatment, it was better.

"It's really tough when you have back injury because you cannot bend, you cannot react at the balls. I couldn't play."

Halep's first-round retirement keeps Angelique Kerber in the running to finish the season No. 1, though the German is a long way back in the rankings.

Halep is next scheduled to play the WTA Finals.

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