Australian Open - Sharapova out of Australian Open
Eurosport - Mon, 12 Jan 16:30:00 2009
Reigning Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from this year's event because of a slower than expected recovery from a shoulder injury.
The Russian said she was making steady progress but was not fit enough to compete at the tournament, which starts on January 19.
"I am very sorry to announce that I am not going to be able to defend my title at this year's Australian Open," the world number nine said.
"My shoulder is doing great, but I just started training a few weeks ago and I am just not near the level I need to be to compete at the highest levels."
Sharapova won her first Australian Open title last year when she beat Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the final at Melbourne Park, but has not played since August.
The 21-year-old won her first 18 matches in 2008 to briefly reclaim the number one ranking before injury struck at Montreal, forcing her to withdraw from last year's Beijing Olympics and the US Open.
"The Australian Open is one of my favourite tournaments: they have the best fans in the world and I am going to miss everything about the tournament," Sharapova said.
"I promise I will see everyone next year."
Australian Open officials, who announced on Saturday they were lifting prize money to record levels this year, said they were disappointed for Sharapova.
"I know she has been working around the clock to try and get back from the shoulder injury. In the end, time beat her this year," tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
"We wish her well with her return to tennis and look forward to seeing her back in Melbourne next year."
Sharapova is the first major casualty for this year's Australian Open but the fifth champion in the last eight years not to defend their singles title.
Andre Agassi (2001 winner), Serena Williams (2003), Justine Henin-Hardenne (2004) and Marat Safin (2005) also missed the first Grand Slam of the year because of injury.
Players have long been demanding the Australian Open, which is traditionally held in the last two weeks of January, be moved back to March to allow them to play in cooler conditions and enable them to take a longer break between seasons.
Tennis Australia officials did agree to push the 2007 tournament back one week but later scrapped the plan and reverted to the original dates.
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Comment 23 - 42 of 42
dream on beytobe... You sicko $#!+
too bad i wanted to see SERENA kick her @#$% again :) what fun.
A great loss to the tournament
luckily she is still young so lets hope she can recover full match fitness early this new year
GOOD LUCK BEST WISHES TO DARLING MARIA SHARAAAAPVA TO RECOVER FULL HEALTH
TO ENTERTAIN US SOON ---- RANKING POSITION MEANS NOTHING -- WINS FROM ANY PLACE
}{ she is SHARAAAAPVA __ & NOT SharaPOVER }{
she has given up in dispair correcting her Russian pronounciation
I'm still trying to get my head around the new ranking points but 15th after the Aussie Open is about right (depending on how others do). After that she is defending 930 points from Doha last year so she'll need to at least make the semi at GDF in Paris to stay in the top 20. The clay court season has never been a happy hunting ground for her either so don't expect to see her back in the top 10 until after Wimbledon. After that she can start to really clean up as she hardly played at all in the second half of last year.
MAria will Fall into the 15 place when the new Rankings are going to be out...Her next Tournament will be OPEN GAZ DE FRANCE...
Health is more important, she should fully recover and then show us what she can do, and we all know she can do plenty. She will bounce back, go Maria!
I wonder what will be her rank after AO. More likely she'll be out of the top 10, or worse, 20 something. And i just remembered... Maria holds the record among active players in the women's tour having the longest stay inside the top 10! - that will soon change =(
Bobito said it all... Comment #15 =)
Hmm, i wonder what tournament will she first play this season... can't wait!
Hope to see you soon, Masha!!! I miss you SO MUCH. Wishing u best tennis this season and for years to come.
she is a great tennis player and i hoped that she must to win in wimbledon or us open because she can to do that....get well sun maria:)i love you
rachatlu
post 30
hey everyone is free to tell their feelings.do not behave like stupid and do not hurt maria fans.may be suman might have felt frustration because he did not see her on the court for long time and worried of her ranking .if anyone loves her too much this is what happens.so stop answering people with u r stupidity.
hai babito
iam very disappointed that she will not recover soon.and also u made me worry that she will not be below top 20 in rnakings even.anyway thanksfor u r information.i like henin and also sharapova.both are not there on the court.no point of watching female tennis unless maria recovers and come back.best of luck maria.
I really miss her so much... too bad i won't see her defend her Aussie Open title. I guess i better not watch the whole tournament... i kind of feel depressed ='( Get well soon Maria, that's all i ask.
rachatlu post 30.u stupid.stop talking like that to me.do no waste u r time giving stupid answers to me.i never ask u to reply me.mind u r own business.iam with u maria comeback soon ,i want to see u in top again.good luck maria.
The most important thing is that she doesn't come back too soon and injure her shoulder again. It's been troubling her for a year and a half now on and off and she really needs to let it heal properly.
Comment24 mvmuthu; Sharapova's situation has nothing to do with "burn out" or "parental monetary greed", it is a sports injury plain and simple. An injury that didn't start to trouble her until she was 20 I might add.
Suman, she is going to lose her ranking. She had a stellar start to 2008 and will lose those points now, probably dropping out of the top 20 before she returns. But she won't be down there for long.
@suman
no i m sorry u r obviously not a fan of sharapova , otherwise you would not say such a stupid thing .she had a surgery on the shoulder middle december so obviously she cant start play tennis straight away ,she has to train for a while before that ! but how on earth can it stop her from modelling? are you stupid ?if she enjoys doing it and earns money with it ,than she should do it ! if she had a surgery and was injured why would she stop modelling ,stop using her free time ????when she is fot she ALWAYS trains hard .i cant believe i even waste my time answering you .
Nooooo :(
I was hoping to finally see her in AO again after that long pause last year...
bobito i agree with u,may be u r right.but iam really frustrated with her injury.i have been waiting to see her on the court since many months.and also i worried she will loose her ranking.i want her to see no 1 in tennis.because i can not imagine without her in aus open 2009.its really made me upset.anyway maria get well soon.
YES BOBITA JUSTINE HENIN WAS MY IDOL TOO AND THE FINAL OF SEASON END CHAMPIONSHIPS IN 07 WITH MARIA SHARAPOVA WAS THE BEST EVER MATCH ON THE WTA TOUR. COME BACK JUSTINE AND GET WELL SOON MARIA.
ALISON.
she didn't mention it when she left my room this morning
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