Sharapova and Halep Withdraw From Brisbane
Defending champion Maria Sharapova and top-seed Simona Halep both withdrew from the Brisbane International due to injury, each announced Tuesday.
“I hurt my forearm in practice a couple of days ago and need to precautionarily withdraw, with the Australian Open starting in just a matter of time,” said Sharapova, who was just hours away from her opening match. “This is such a special event for me, especially being the defending champion. I look forward to seeing all my fans in Brisbane next year.”
Soon after Sharapova’s announcement, the top-seeded Romanian announced she was also withdrawing because of a left leg injury.
“I had problems with my Achilles in August and September, and then I didn’t feel it anymore, but now I’ve already had a couple of weeks again with the pain,” Halep said at a press conference. “I thought I would be ready to play here, to start the year here in Brisbane, but I don’t think that I can play a full match. I think it’s more important to be ready and take a little bit of a break.”
The two will be replaced in the draw by lucky losers Margarita Gasparyan and Ysaline Bonaventure.
In second-round action in Brisbane, U.S. Open finalist Roberta Vinci steamrolled Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova 6-1, 6-1 while sixth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suarez-Navarro hung on to beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-4.
