Defending champion Grigor Dimitrov has retired from his Brisbane International semi-final to hand Jiri Lehecka a shot at a second Australian title.
Trailing 6-4 4-4, Bulgarian world No.10 Dimitrov received treatment on his groin and hip region on Saturday at Pat Rafter Arena.
He left the court for more treatment and then attempted to play on before retiring citing left hip pain to send the 23-year-old into his fourth ATP final.
He now has one week to recover before the Australian Open, while Lehecka will face big-serving American Reilly Opelka in the championship match and is in familiar territory after claiming his first and only title in Adelaide last year.
"You just want to win, but not like that. Hopefully, Grigor is fine," Lehecka said.
"Hopefully he'll be ready for Melbourne. I don't know if it's something serious or not.
"I just felt in the last two points he made, he couldn't move. Something clicked, or I don't know what happened."
Dimitrov, a former world No.3, purred to a drought-breaking title a year ago to spark his return to the top 10 and again looked in fine touch in the steamy Queensland conditions.
The giant Opelka, who beat Novak Djokovic on Friday night, defied his own injury concerns to best French 21-year-old Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 6-3 7-6 (7-4) later on Saturday.
The American, a former world No.17 now ranked 293 in the world, is on the comeback from two wrist surgeries as well as a hip operation that robbed him of almost two years on the tour.
He was left flexing his right wrist in worrying signs midway through the first set, but after treatment appeared to settle and continue his Brisbane charge before brushing aside any concerns post-match.
Mpetshi Perricard hadn't been broken all tournament but offered up two double faults in his first game to hand Opelka a crucial break.
He almost lost another service game from 40-0 up in the second set, eventually holding after saving a break point and sending the stanza towards a tiebreak.
Opelka landed the first blow with a rifled backhand winner on the Frenchman's serve but again it was a double fault that cost Mpetshi Perricard, who threw up five in total to go with a relatively low ace-count of 10.
