Injury Crisis Hits Australian Open Build-Up
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Sports42 FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2016 Injury crisis hits Australian Open build-up MELBOURNE: A catalogue of injuries threat- ens to play havoc with the Australian Open and put more pressure on women’s tour organizers to reform the playing schedule. Injuries or illness have felled most of the women’s top 10 in recent weeks, in what is either a hefty dose of bad luck or something more avoidable. World number one Serena Williams is chief among the injury concerns after she pulled out of the Hopman Cup exhi- bition tournament with a sore knee. But the 21-time Grand Slam-winner is not alone, with only her sister Venus and Flavia Pennetta-who has retired-unscathed among the women’s top 10. Simona Halep, Garbine Muguruza, Agnieszka Radwanska and Maria Sharapova have all pulled out of build-up This combo shows the top five women’s seeds for the 2016 Australian Open - (left to right) Serena Williams of the US, Simona Halep of tournaments because of injury concerns. Romania, Garbine Muguruza of Spain, Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Maria Sharapova of Russia. The Australian Open, the first Meanwhile Petra Kvitova and Angelique Grand Slam tournament of the tennis season, starts in Melbourne on January 18, 2016. — AFP Kerber have been hit by gastroenteritis, while Lucie Safarova is skipping Melbourne because end of last season. “Clearly one of the big Whether injuries have a major impact on shaking off an achilles injury which also of a problems linked to a bacterial issues that we have right now is dealing with... the Australian Open remains to be seen, but affected her last year, but after withdrawing infection.While illness is largely uncontrol- getting our athletes through the season there are certainly concerns over Williams, from Brisbane she played this week in lable, Williams, Halep and Sharapova are all healthy,” he said at the WTA Finals in who has not played a competitive match Sydney. World number three Muguruza still hampered by injuries which affected Singapore. since September. The American great retired retired from her first match in Brisbane with a them last season, whose tail-end was unusual- during her only match at the Hopman Cup in foot problem, and fourth-ranked Radwanska ly busy. Pushed to the limits Perth, and Australian Open organizers will withdrew from Sydney with a leg injury. For Problems on the men’s side are also com- The women’s season is particularly busy hope she meant what she said when she women’s legend Martina Navratilova, whose paratively light, suggesting a link between the during its final months, when an “Asian insisted she was “feeling great now”. playing career lasted into her late 40s, “the injuries and the women’s tour-whose sched- swing” kicks in after the year’s last Grand Sharapova, injured for much of last season, number of injuries withdrawals is still too ule has repeatedly been criticized by players. Slam, the US Open. Last year, places were up has also expressed confidence about her high”. “You got to think long-term. Maybe it’s Incoming Women’s Tennis Association Steve for grabs until the last minute at the lucrative, recovery from a forearm problem which first great to have all these tournaments but at Simon has already promised “fundamental eight-woman WTA Finals, prompting players surfaced in September and forced her to drop the end of the day, if you don’t have enough changes” to the demanding calendar after a to push themselves to the limits in a late dash out of Brisbane. players playing, you got a problem,” she said rash of injuries and withdrawals towards the for qualifying points. Second-ranked Halep is having trouble at the WTA Finals. — AFP Serena has questions to Azarenka back in the Open answer in Melbourne frame after troubled years MELBOURNE: Eager to make up for two trou- and her constant injury battles led to bouts of MELBOURNE: Defending champion Serena Injury list bled years on and off the court, Victoria depression. She entered last year’s Australian Williams insists she is fighting fit in her bid for a sev- Like Williams, Sharapova, who won her only Azarenka is once again being talked about as a Open ranked 44th in the world and faced three enth Australian Open crown despite an injury scare Australian Open title in 2008, will enter this year’s genuine title threat at the Australian Open after seeds in the first four rounds, exiting at the and lack of match practice. The world number one tournament with little match practice, although the Belarusian’s Brisbane International win yes- hands of 2014 finalist Dominika Cibulkova in the has barely played since the US Open in September, she called her decision not to play last week’s terday. The 26-year-old won her first tourna- fourth round. She managed to play 14 tourna- when Roberta Vinci shattered her dream of a calen- Brisbane International precautionary and declared ment in 2-1/2 years when she beat world num- ments last year but was again beset by injuries dar-year Grand Slam in a heart-breaking semi-final on Tuesday she was now healthy. It follows her sec- ber 10 Angelique Kerber 6-3 6-1 at Brisbane and and said after Brisbane she was ‘hurt’ and ‘in defeat. Williams attempted a comeback at this ond half of 2015 being wrecked by injuries, first to was then seeded 16th on Thursday for the sea- pain’ for virtually the whole of 2015. month’s Hopman Cup mixed-team tournament in her right leg which forced her to miss the US Open. son-opening grand slam at Melbourne Park. In a bid to get back to her best, Azarenka Perth but retired with soreness in her left knee, She then retired from her comeback match at Kerber was the highest seed left in the tourna- recognized the need to get proper treatment sparking speculation that at 34, she could be past September’s Wuhan Open with a left forearm ment after Maria Sharapova and world number and rehabilitation. Her move to take on a new her peak. injury. Romanian pocket-rocket Halep also with- two Simona Halep, who Azarenka would have coach and hitting partner last year is also pay- But the American 21-time Grand Slam champi- drew from Brisbane but was playing this week in met in the second round, pulled out while ing off, while taking stock of her life away from on, who also battled knee problems in the latter Sydney, and knows she has a huge task ahead to Garbine Muguruza retired hurt early on. the court has helped her on it, she has said. If half of 2015, insists she is “ready to go” at the win her maiden Grand Slam, seeded to meet While those absences may have smoothed Azarenka has consigned her problems to the Melbourne Park tournament starting Monday. “My Williams in the final. Azarenka’s path to the title, there is no doubt past, she could be a serious threat in Australia body is feeling great now,” she said this week. “I beat Serena once in my life, so it’s really her game is returning to levels that helped her and is one of the few players with the power “Obviously I had a hiccup but right now it is doing important for me,” said Halep, who has won just reach world number one and win back to back and speed to consistently challenge world much better. I’ve had a few days of training so it’s one of seven matches against the American and Australian Open titles in 2012 and 2013. She number one Serena Williams. The 34-year-old looking good.” She added: “I know what I need to admitted her achilles injury was “still there but now dropped just 17 games over five matches dur- American has won four of the last five grand do on and off the court to win big tournaments.” I don’t feel pain any more”. “To meet Serena, it ing the tournament to claim her first title since slams but has been battling a long-standing Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground means that I have to do finals. So let’s go there in the Cincinnati Masters in August 2013. knee injury. for Williams. She claimed her first Australian Open Melbourne to see if I can be there,” she added. The Azarenka, who has recently spoken about her They played three times last year, and while title way back in 2003, beating elder sister Venus in early-season injury list has opened the door for battle with depression, said that while the victo- Williams won them all each went to a decider the final, and reached her sixth last year when she two-time Australian Open champion Victoria ry would give her the spark to go on and with the American having to battle back from a toppled arch-rival Maria Sharapova. Azarenka, now fully fit after two troubled seasons, achieve more, she had managed to keep a set down to win two of the matches. Former Williams is not the only player struggling ahead who beat Germany’s Kerber to claim the Brisbane wider perspective during the tournament. “I’m world number one Chris Evert believes the of the opening Grand Slam of the season, with crown. not sure I feel relief,” she told reporters after the American’s biggest challenger in Melbourne injuries taking their toll on many of the leading It was the resurgent Belarusian’s first piece of win.