Collarbone Issues Force Sharapova Out of Brisbane International
January 2, 2013 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Photo credit: Kenneth B. Goldberg
Russian Maria Sharapova injured her right collarbone and has withdrawn from the Brisbane International as a precaution ahead of the Australian Open. She pulled out just prior to her first match after experiencing some pain. Sharapova also withdrew from the Brisbane International last year because of injury, but recovered quickly to reach the Australian Open final, where she lost in straight sets to Victoria Azarenka.
”I still have quite a bit of time to prepare for Australia. I’m on the right track, been training really well, so I just don’t want to jeopardize what I’ve gained in the offseason so far,” said Sharapova. "Just have to make a smart move here."
She said the latest injury also forced her to withdraw from a recent exhibition tournament in South Korea, but was ”not at all” related to the right shoulder problem which has plagued her since 2008.
I had a bit of inflammation in my collarbone, and I sent (scan results) to a doctor in New York and he told me I couldn’t really do much overhead training for about a week,” she said. ”So to be fair, I haven’t really given myself a chance to pretty much hit any serves or anything over my head … So I just kind of ran out of time here.”
Sharapova’s absence gives Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, the lucky loser from qualifying, a place in the second round Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova.
