Acapulco, Mexico (SportsNetwork.com) - Top seed Maria Sharapova had to pull out of her semifinal match against Caroline Garcia of France at the Mexican Open on Friday due to a stomach virus.
"I'm really sorry to have to withdraw from the tournament," said Sharapova on her official website. "I had a great start to the event and was hoping I could recover in time for tonight's match but unfortunately it was not enough time. I want to thank the tournament for organizing such a great event and most importantly the fans who were so passionate during all my matches."
The third-seeded Garcia received a walkover into the final where she will face fifth-seeded Timea Bacsinszky, who cruised past Sesil Karatantcheva 6-2, 6-4.
This week's winner will pocket $43,000.
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