Petkovic Hopes She Is Finally Getting Started On The Long Road Back

Written by: Staff on 4th January 2013

If awards were given for the most unfortunate tennis player of the last few months then Germany’s Andrea Petkovic, the girl who set the trend for dancing celebrations a couple of years back, would figure prominently after being ruled out of the upcoming Australian Open injury with a knee injury.

The 26 year-old, who reached a career-high singles ranking of nine in October 2011 but currently finds herself in 125th position on the WTA computer after being sidelined for seven months in two separate spells in 2012, faces another lengthy absence.

This time last year Petkovic suffered a lower back injury that forced her to withdraw from the Australian Open and stay sidelined until after the Sony Open in late March. Then in her comeback tournament on clay in Stuttgart she damaged a right ankle which kept her out of the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics.

She managed to play six events at the tail end of the year, including the US Open but, although this is another massive blow, Petkovic philosophically takes the view things could have been a lot worse.

Initially she feared she had again torn the anterior cruciate ligament she first injured in 2008, ironically at the Australian Open, and tbat meant an eight months absence from the tour . However an MRI scan showed the damage was minimal by comparison she she now faces a far shorter lay-off.

“It’s is a rupture of the medial meniscus,” said Petkovic. “If they have to trim it then I will only be out for a month. If they have to sew it up again, it will take two to three months. Nonetheless, I am quite relieved it is not my ACL, I feared the worst. It was a very similar pain and very similar symptoms to what I suffered four years ago. Now I hope I will be fine after a month.”

After suffering the latest injuryn while representing Germany in the Hopman Cup in Perth she has now flown back home for arthroscopic surgery. “Everything bad that could happen, happened to me and so nothing surprises me anymore, she said. “I’m just hoping for a quick recovery. I would so much appreciate if I could be back on court after three or four weeks.”