Schiavone injured

Written by: Staff on 7th January 2011

Schiavone injured

Francesca Schiavone (ITA) |

ITALY’S Francesca Schiavone has been forced to withdraw from her women’s singles match against France’s Kristina Mladenovic to begin Friday’s Session 10 at the Hyundai Hopman Cup.

The world No. 7 Italian was able to open a 4-2 lead against Mladenovic before tweaking her thigh and after trying to play through after receiving treatment, she was forced to withdraw two games later with the scores 4-4 handing the French teenager the win.

Schiavone, who arrived in Perth after a 2010 that saw her win the French Open and lead Italy to a Fed Cup victory, was hoping to keep Italy’s chances of reaching Saturday’s Final to play Serbia alive, but now her injury leaves the door slightly ajar for France.

The men’s singles match will now see Nicolas Mahut try to beat his Italian opponent Potito Starace. If he is successful and with Schiavone unlikely to be able to play mixed doubles, France will take the Tie 3-0 and then put the pressure back on the USA.

Bethanie Mattek-Sands and John Isner need to win just one rubber against Great Britain’s Laura Robson and Andy Murray, but if they fail to do so there is a distinct possibly that France’s Mladenovic and Mahut could sneak into the Final.

The Mahut-Starace match will now begin on Centre Court in the Burswood Dome with the USA-Great Britain Tie then to commence later this afternoon.

Topics: Francesca Schiavone, Tennis