Former world number one Amelie Mauresmo had to forfeit her Brisbane International semi-final against compatriot Marion Bartoli Friday after receiving treatment on her lower back and left leg.
The Frenchwoman, who had stunned top seed Ana Ivanovic 6-3, 6-2 in the quarter-finals on Thursday, was serving at 0-4 when she called for the trainer.
She received the treatment and then immediately forfeited the match, allowing Bartoli to set up a final with second seed Victoria Azarenka, who had earlier thrashed Italy's Sara Errani 6-3, 6-1 in just over an hour.
Mauresmo's injury could force her out of next week's Sydney International and places her participation in the Australian Open in jeopardy.
The 29-year-old has struggled with injury since she won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles in 2006 and was slowly making her way back up the world rankings. She is currently ranked 23rd.
Belarus's Azarenka, who made the final of the now defunct Gold Coast tournament last year, broke Errani twice in the first set but also dropped her own serve twice.
However, she was much more clinical in the second set, landing 85 percent of her first serves and winning 76 percent of first serve points. In the men's draw, Radek Stepanek overcame a slow start to upset fourth-seeded Swede Robin Soderling 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in their quarter-final clash.
The eighth-seeded Czech player, who also had to fight back from a break down in the third set, produced a superbly consistent baseline game to notch victory in one hour, 45 minutes.
He will meet the winner of the all-French quarter-final between Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet, who play later Friday.
