Leg injury: Sharapova withdraws from US Open to leave Serena’s path clear
Third seed may have faced the defending champion in the semi-final.
Sharapova had not played a match since losing to Serena in a Wimbledon semi-final last month because of the injury. PHOTO: REUTERS
NEW YORK:
Russian third seed Maria Sharapova withdrew from the US Open on Sunday with a right leg injury, easing the path to a calendar-year Grand Slam for top-ranked Serena Williams.
US Open tournament director David Brewer announced Sharapova’s exit, which allowed qualifying lucky loser Daria Kasatkina of Russia into the draw in Sharapova’s place.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in this year’s US Open,” said Sharapova in a Twitter posting. “I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time. To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong.”
Sharapova had been the highest-seeded rival in Serena’s half of the US Open draw, a status that now belongs to seventh-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, a possible semi-final foe for the 33-year-old American.
Serena is trying to complete the first Grand Slam calendar-year title sweep since Steffi Graf in 1988 and match Graf’s Open Era-record of 22 Slam singles crowns.
Sharapova had not played a match since losing to Serena in a Wimbledon semi-final last month because of the injury, which she said had been a day-to-day thing since it happened.
Serena is 18-2 all-time against Sharapova and has won their past 17 meetings in a row.
Prior to pulling out of the tournament for the second time in three years, Sharapova described the injury as “just a muscle strain”.
The 28-year-old Russian had been tweaking her tournament schedule in the past few weeks in order to give herself a chance to come back on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts, knowing that pulling out of tune-up events in Cincinnati and Toronto would hurt her chances in New York.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.
Russian third seed Maria Sharapova withdrew from the US Open on Sunday with a right leg injury, easing the path to a calendar-year Grand Slam for top-ranked Serena Williams.
US Open tournament director David Brewer announced Sharapova’s exit, which allowed qualifying lucky loser Daria Kasatkina of Russia into the draw in Sharapova’s place.
“Unfortunately I will not be able to compete in this year’s US Open,” said Sharapova in a Twitter posting. “I have done everything possible to be ready but it was just not enough time. To all my amazing fans, I will be back in the Asian swing in a few weeks and look forward to finishing the year healthy and strong.”
Sharapova had been the highest-seeded rival in Serena’s half of the US Open draw, a status that now belongs to seventh-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic, a possible semi-final foe for the 33-year-old American.
Serena is trying to complete the first Grand Slam calendar-year title sweep since Steffi Graf in 1988 and match Graf’s Open Era-record of 22 Slam singles crowns.
Sharapova had not played a match since losing to Serena in a Wimbledon semi-final last month because of the injury, which she said had been a day-to-day thing since it happened.
Serena is 18-2 all-time against Sharapova and has won their past 17 meetings in a row.
Prior to pulling out of the tournament for the second time in three years, Sharapova described the injury as “just a muscle strain”.
The 28-year-old Russian had been tweaking her tournament schedule in the past few weeks in order to give herself a chance to come back on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts, knowing that pulling out of tune-up events in Cincinnati and Toronto would hurt her chances in New York.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 1st, 2015.