Australia's Ash Barty is through to the final of the Yarra Valley Classic after Serena Williams withdrew from the pair's semi-final clash due to an injury.
Barty and Williams were due to face off in a highly-anticipated match-up on Saturday, but Williams has opted to rest instead due to what has been called a "right shoulder injury".
Going through to the final is great news for Barty, but there's no doubt she would've really enjoyed the Serena tune-up ahead of the Australian Open, particularly after her huge layoff prior to this week.
Williams had earlier expressed her excitement at the upcoming clash against Barty after defeating Danielle Collins in the quarter-final.
"It's definitely a good opportunity to see where I'm going against the current No. 1, that's really important for me," Williams said.
"Obviously I think for her, as well, to see where she's going against my game.
"It's been a long 12 months. Tennis has been played but not really, so … hopefully this is like a new year where things will be different."
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