BRISBANE // Defending champion Maria Sharapova and top seed Simona Halep pulled out of the Brisbane International on Tuesday citing injuries, depriving the contest of two of its main drawcards.
Sharapova withdrew from the season-opening event with a left forearm injury, saying it was a precautionary move ahead of the Australian Open later this month.
“I hurt my forearm in practice a couple of days ago,” the world No 4 and third seed said in a statement. “This is such a special event for me, especially being the defending champion.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all my fans in Brisbane next year,” she added.
The 28-year-old Russian had been due to play fellow countrywoman Ekaterina Makarova in the first round later on Tuesday.
Makarova will now take on qualifying lucky loser Margarita Gasparyan, another Russian.
Sharapova’s decision not to risk her Australian Open campaign comes after the latter half of her 2015 season was wrecked by injuries, first to her right leg which forced her to miss the US Open.
She retired from her comeback match at the Wuhan Open in China in September with a left forearm injury, only returning for the WTA Tour finals in Singapore at the end of October.
Sharapova was joined on the sidelines at Brisbane by Romanian world No 2 Halep later on Tuesday, who blamed a left leg injury for her decision to pull out.
Halep said she first injured her Achilles in August and had been experiencing some pain over the past two weeks.
“I thought that I was ready to play – I came here like I wanted to play, to start the year here, but I cannot have a full match, and I thought that it’s more important to be ready and to take a break,” she said.
Halep said she expected to be fit for the Australian Open and said she also intended to play in Sydney next week.
“It’s nothing dangerous,” she said of the injury. “I did an MRI and it’s nothing dangerous, but it’s still an inflammation. I have just to take a few days’ rest.”
Halep was due to play former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka, from Belarus, in the second round.
Azarenka will now also play a lucky loser from qualifying, Belgian Ysaline Bonaventure.
Stosur survives first-round challenge
Australian Sam Stosur narrowly avoided another disappointment on home turf as she battled through a wrist injury and three tough sets to claim an opening victory at the Brisbane International.
The former US Open champion recovered from 0-3 down in the final set to record a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Slovakian qualifier Jana Cepelova to kick off her always intense Australian summer in positive style.
Stosur, 31, has frequently failed to hit the heights on home turf, having never won a tournament or progressed past the fourth round at the Australian Open, and bemoaned on Sunday the unfair emphasis she received for her domestic form.
The world No 27 looked set to give the critics another stick to beat her with before a spirited effort did for the world No 147 and set up a second-round clash with Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro on Tuesday.
“I am really pleased to walk away with a win, especially being down in that third set and then find that ability to come back and play well and win it when you are down, to turn things around,” Stosur said. “There were lots of positives I could take out of that.”
Stosur needed treatment for a wrist problem midway through the second set but was not overly concerned about the injury.
“I’m not freaking out about it,” said the right-hander, winner of eight WTA titles. “I need to go see my physio and do whatever we need to do tonight.
“Then tomorrow playing night match there is that little bit of extra time if it is a bit sore. I’m sure we’ll come up with a plan and be out on court ready to go.”
Italy’s Roberto Vinci, who ended Serena Williams’s bid for a calendar Grand Slam at the US Open semi-finals last year, also needed three tough sets to make the second round on the Brisbane hard courts.
Vinci, 32, prevailed 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 over former world No 1 Jelena Jankovic, while Germany’s world No 10 Angelique Kerber shook off the rust in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 victory over Camila Giorgi of Italy.
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