No Pliskova showdown as Karolina pulls out of Prague

PRAGUE: There will be no home court showdown for Karolina Pliskova with her twin sister Kristyna after the former world number one pulled out of the WTA Prague Open on Monday with injury.

"I'm very disappointed and sad that I won't be able to play," said Karolina Pliskova, complaining of a groin injury.

Now ranked at six in the world, Pliskova put the injury down to fatigue after seven games in the last nine days, including a tournament-winning run in Stuttgart and two Fed Cup semi-final games for the Czech Republic.

Karolina's withdrawal means she avoids playing her 72nd-ranked twin whose career has been overshadowed by a sister who was runner-up at the US Open in 2016 and whose title triumph in Stuttgart on Sunday took her trophy tally to 10.

Kristyna has one title on her CV from Tashkent in 2016 and has career earnings of just under $2 million compared to Monte Carlo-based Karolina's $11 million.