Ayumi Morita of Japan pulls out of US Open

New York: Ayumi Morita of Japan pulled out of the US Open on Sunday because of a lower back injury.

The 51st-ranked Morita had been scheduled to play fourth-seeded Sara Errani of Italy, the runner-up at the 2012 French Open and a semifinalist at the 2012 US Open.

Instead, Errani will play 152nd-ranked Olivia Rogowska of Australia in the first round at Flushing Meadows. Rogowska is a "lucky loser" - a player who loses in qualifying rounds but gets into the main draw because someone withdrew. She is 0-2 in the US Open, having lost in the first round in 2009 and last year.

The hard-court tournament begins on Monday.