Maria Sharapova out of US Open
New York (AFP) – 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 years US Open,” Sharapova said 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 Williams’ 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.
Williams 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 Williams in a Wimbledon semi-final last month because of the injury, which she said had been a day-to-day thing since it happened.
“Dealing with these nagging things, it’s almost like a day-to-day process,” Sharapova said on Saturday. “When you are facing something with the body it’s always a day-to-day process.”
Williams 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”.
“I’ve done everything I could to be ready,” Sharapova said. “There’s nothing more that I could have done.”
Sharapova did make the publicity rounds in the days before the US Open, …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
