Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova both abruptly announced their withdrawal from the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati tonight. Sharapova cited a nagging leg injury, while Williams listed a viral illness. Williams had won a hard fought match against Zarina Diyas yesterday with an uneven performance–jumping out to large leads in both sets before allowing Diyas back into the match. Although Williams willed herself to a win, she looked sluggish throughout. After the match, although her typically polite self, her movements seemed laborious, even the simple and usually joyful task of hitting balls into the stands lacked her usual charm and energy. A viral ailment only compounds and intensifies daily battle with Sjogren’s Syndrome: the autoimmune disease that she suffers from that often causes fatigue and going pain.
Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova Withdraw from Western and Southern Open
Maria Sharapova withdrew for the second straight tournament due to the strained right leg. After withdrawing from the Rogers Cup in Toronto last week, the Russian came to Cincinnati expecting to play. Sharapova is in a tight competition with Simona Halep for the coveted #2 ranking, and a path to the US Open final free of facing Serena Williams. If Halep makes the tourney final, she will jump ahead of Sharapova into the #2 ranking. Halep plays Kristina Mladenovic of France in the 2nd round tomorrow at 11 am on the Grandstand Court. The pressure will be on Halep to take advantage of Sharapova’s absence and earn the coveted #2 seed for the US Open in two weeks. Of course, there will now also be concerns about Sharapova’s health heading into the US Open, which is less than two short weeks away.
Main Photo:
CINCINNATI, OH – AUGUST 18: Maria Sharapova of Russia addresses a news conference after withdrawing from the Western & Southern Open at the Linder Family Tennis Center on August 18, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
