|
Russian Maria Sharapova, the world No. 4 who fell in the semi-finals Saturday in Los Angeles, has withdrawn from the WTA Tour tournament starting in Montreal on Monday.
Sharapova said her run of success in California, where she won in San Diego last week before reaching the semi-finals in Los Angeles, had left her feeling that she couldn't play at her usual high level.
With the US Open, final Grand Slam of the season, due to start on August 28, she preferred to give herself a rest.
She joined a long list of top players who decided to forego the Canadian event.
"I'm deeply saddened to have to withdraw from the Rogers Cup," Sharapova said in a statement. "Unfortunately, my body is very fatigued because of the extensive number of matches that I have played over a short period of time, and I don't feel that I can perform at the level required.
World No. 1 Amelie Mauresmo and fellow French player Mary Pierce, Switzerland's Patty Schnyder, Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne and Russian Vera Zvonareva were all late withdrawals from the tournament.
While disappointed, tournament director Eugene Lapierre blamed the WTA Tour, not Sharapova, for the loss of the Russian star.
"Something is clearly wrong with the system in its actual form," he said. "The star players are often put in a situation where they can't respect their engagements. We will try to correct the situation by working closely with the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour."
Leave a comment