Friday, January 04, 2013
Azarenka withdraws from Serena showdown with toe injury
BRISBANE (Reuters) - Victoria Azarenka's preparations for this month's Australian Open took a blow on Friday when the world number one withdrew from her Brisbane International semi-final against Serena Williams due to injury.
The Belarussian now faces a race against time to be fit for the first grand slam of the season, which begins at Melbourne Park on January 14, after the toe problem led to her late withdrawal from the clash against Williams.
Victoria Azarenka of Belarus hits a return to Ksenia Pervak of Kazakhstan during their women's singles match at the Brisbane International tennis tournament January 3, 2013. REUTERS/Daniel MunozShe made the announcement about her withdrawal just 30 minutes before the match was scheduled to begin.
The Australian Open champion will not play another match before she opens the defence of her title and while the injury is to the big toe on her right foot, Azarenka expects to be fully fit for Melbourne.
"I am not concerned about that," she told reporters.
American world number three Williams will now meet either Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Ukraine's Lesia Tsurenko in the Brisbane final on Saturday.
(Reporting by Will Swanton; Editing by John O'Brien)
- Mixed reaction to Chong Wei’s remarks on Lin Dan’s wild card
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Badminton: Coaches voice out frustration over new lighting system at Putra Stadium at Bukit Jalil
- Cai Lin breaks 200m freestyle record
- Djokovic crashes in Rome, ailing Sharapova pulls out, Federer wins
- Table tennis: Leading Chinese quartet power into last 16 of world meet
- Learn Spanish Hafizh as part of plan to conquer MotoGP
- China play it cool; Past records mean nothing, says chief coach Yongbo
- Shankar hopes Sri Lanka will shine at Sudirman Cup
- NBA: Kings sold to group led by India's Ranadive for more than US$535mil
- Cycling: Leader Van Garderen wins California time trial
- Golf: Keegan Bradley maintains Byron Nelson lead
- Golf: Korda seizes lead at Mobile Bay LPGA
- Bradley stays in charge, Guan exits
- Hall of Famer Venturi dies aged 82
- Formula One: Increased venom as F1 tyre war erupts again
- Rugby: It's all I have to play for, says Wilkinson
- Doping battle at breaking point
- Cricket: Haq nets record and a duck in Scotland warm-up
- Cricket: Anderson bowls England back into first Test
RSS
