Sharapova Will Play In Melbourne Without A Warm-up Tournament

Written by: Staff on 3rd January 2013

Sharapova Will Play In Melbourne Without A Warm-up Tournament

epa03520163 Maria Sharapova of Russia plays during a practice session at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, 30 December 2012. EPA/DAVE HUNT |

Maria Sharapova will begin the Australian Open in a fortnight without a 2013 match after withdrawing from the Brisbane International with a right collarbone injury which has troubled her for a few weeks.

But the world No. 2 remains optimistic that all will come right for the first Grand Slam of the season January 14. The injury had prevented her from playing a post-Christmas exhibition in South Korea. Sharapova was to have played Australia in the Brisbane first round to start the new season.

But it was not to be. “I had a bit of inflammation in my collarbone. My doctor in New York told me I couldn’t really do much overhead training for about a week,” she said. “Ï haven’t really given myself a chance to pretty much hit any serves or anything over my head. Just been practicing groundstrokes. I just ran out of time here.”

The LA-based Russian said she would enter the Open without match play after electing to skip next week’s WTA event in Sydney as a wild card. “I still have quite a bit of time to prepare for the Australian Open,” she added. “I’m on the right track, been training really well, so I just don’t want to jeopardize what I’ve gained in the off-season so far.

“I just have to make a smart move here.”

She said that starting in Melbourne without match play would not be a drama. “I have my own fair share of experience, and know that it’s much more important to be healthy to go into a big tournament like the Australian Open than to go into something big with a lot of matches and feel like you’re not prepared health-wise.

“You never know with these things. There are so many parts of the body where I’m sure if every one of us did an examination we would find a lot things wrong with us. When I started back here I was feeling much better, but just like I said, couldn’t do much overhead stuff and ran out of time.”

©Daily tennis news wire

Topics: Australian Open, Brisbane International, Jarmila Gajdosova, Maria Sharapova, Sports, Tennis, Wta