BRISBANE (Australia): Serena Williams has a badly sprained left ankle, Roger Federer an aching back and Kim Clijsters a sore left hip.
Add in a limping but “I’ll be OK” Andy Murray, Rafael Nadal playing with a sore left shoulder from the end of last season and the advance tournaments for this year’s Australian Open are beginning to look like a star-studded casualty ward. Williams’ injury seems to be the most serious of the bunch, and could affect her chances of winning the singles title for the sixth time at Melbourne Park. She rolled over on it badly in the second round at the Brisbane International and pulled out of the tournament several hours later.
Federer and defending Australian Open champion Clijsters both withdrew from their tournaments on Friday. Federer, a four-time Australian Open singles champion, withdrew ahead of his scheduled Qatar Open semifinal against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga because of a muscle spasm in his back, but said he expects to be fit for the first Grand Slam of the season when it begins on Jan. 16.
The 16-time Grand Slam singles champion said his back had not improved since beating Andrea’s Sepia in three sets on Thursday.
Clijsters was forced to retire from her semifinal match against Daniel Hantuchova at the Brisbane International. Clijsters won the opening set 7-6 (4) but surrendered a break at the start of the second set and needed treatment after the third game. She came back on court for one game before walking to the net and telling Hantuchova she couldn’t continue after falling behind 3-1.
Both Clijsters and Williams, the 2010 Australian Open champion, were playing their first tournaments in four months. Murray, who will play in a men’s semifinal at Brisbane on Saturday, dropped the opening sets in his first two rounds as he overcame soreness and stiffness from the off-season. Nadal, who has struggled with a sore left shoulder, was beaten in straight sets by Gael Monfils in the Qatar Open semifinals on Friday, but did not blame any injury problems for the loss. (Agencies)
