World no. 1 Serena Williams has joined her sister as an injury victim, pulling out of this week’s Stanford WTA women’s event with knee pain.
Just two weeks after she beat her sister Venus for the Wimbledon title, the tournament draw card told organisers she would not be able to front up for the start of the North American summer hardcourt season.
Venus Williams is unable to defend her Californian title due to the abdominal muscle pull she has carried since the spring. Her return to competition remains unknown.
”Obviously, I’m very disappointed that I can’t play at Stanford,” said Serena, who has been concentrating recently on an acting career. ”I really can’t play with my knee in pain right now.”
Meanwhile, it is looking almost certain that Pete Sampras has played his last match, with indications growing that he won’t defend his title to next month’s US Open.
Playing in a celebrity golf tournament at the weekend in Nevada, the 14-time Grand Slam champion told American television ”there’s a good chance” his career is done.
It will be only the latest in a series of withdrawals from tournament from the men who last competed when he won the New York crown more than 10 months ago over Andre Agassi.
”Not being at the Open this year, which I’m going to pull out of, and not playing Wimbledon — I don’t miss it (tennis) enough to really start training, start practising, doing everything I have to do to be where I want to be,” said Sampras.
”This tells me it’s a sign to say, ‘It’s probably time.”’ – Sapa-DPA