Injured Serena pulls out of showdown with Sharapova
Serena Williams announced her shock withdrawal from the French Open with injury yesterday, just minutes before her scheduled fourth-round clash against long-time bitter rival and fellow Grand Slam icon Maria Sharapova.
The 36-year-old said she had suffered a pectoral muscle injury in her third-round win over Julia Goerges and "can't serve at all".
The 23-time Grand Slam champion added that she would stay in Paris for scans on the injury to find out how long she will be out of action.
"I have been having some issues with my pec muscle and (it) has been getting worse to the point where right now I can't actually serve," she said.
She was unable to say whether she would be fit for Wimbledon which gets underway in four weeks.
"I'm beyond disappointed," added three-time Roland Garros champion Williams who was playing in her first Grand Slam since winning last year's Australian Open.
She was also playing just her third tournament of the year after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia in September.
"I gave up so much time with my daughter and family all for this moment. So it's really difficult to be in this situation."
The shock withdrawal, Williams' first in her 20-year career that she had pulled out during a Grand Slam event, came just minutes before she was due on Court Philippe Chatrier to face Sharapova.
Williams has not lost to the Russian since 2004, winning the last 18 matches.
It had been the most eagerly awaited match of the tournament, coming just two days after Williams had blasted Sharapova's autobiography for being "100 per cent hearsay" when it came to references about her.
Sharapova, the champion in Paris in 2012 and 2014, will face either 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza or Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine for a semi-final place.
Meanwhile, Angelique Kerber saw off seventh seed Caroline Garcia 6-2, 6-3 in the fourth round yesterday.
Kerber, a double Grand Slam champion, will next face world No. 1 Simona Halep after the Romanian demolished Belgian Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-1.
Russian 14th seed Daria Kasatkina stunned world No. 2 and Australian Open champion Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 to reach her first Grand Slam quarter-final.
Kasatkina will face US Open winner Sloane Stephens today for a place in the semi-finals. - AFP
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