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SPORTSFriday 2 October 2015
Serena Williams withdraws from WTA Finals and China Open
BEIJING (AP) — The 2015 performance. We will miss 3-ranked Maria Sharapo-
season is over for Serena seeing Serena on court in va pulled out of the China
Williams. both Beijing and Singapore Open because of a left
The No. 1-ranked Williams and wish her a speedy re- forearm injury. She said she
withdrew from her final two covery.” still hopes to play at the
scheduled tournaments of Earlier this week, No. WTA Finals..q
the year on Thursday, say-
ing she needs time to heal In this Friday, Sept. 11, 2015 file photo, Serena Williams can’t
from a series of injuries and catch up with a drop shot from Roberta Vinci, of Italy, during
the heartbreak of coming a semifinal match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament, in New
up short in a bid for a cal- York.
endar-year Grand Slam.
Williams hasn’t played Associated Press
since losing to Roberta
Vinci in the semifinals of In 2015, Williams won year. And when I do, l will Rafael Nadal of Spain, left, and Novak Djokovic of Serbia right,
the U.S. Open, where she the Australian Open, the focus and focus and focus attend a press conference for their exhibition tennis match in
came two matches short French Open and Wimble- so I can continue my jour- Bangkok, Thailand, Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015.
of becoming the first player don. ney in this beautiful game.”
to win all four majors in the Williams said she plans Williams has already se- Associated Press
same year since Steffi Graf to get back on the court cured the year-end No. 1
in 1988. during the offseason and ranking for the third straight Nadal difficult to equal.”
“It’s no secret I’ve played prepare for the Australian year and fifth season over- Djokovic silently accept-
injured most of the year Open in January, where all. Continued from page 17 ed the compliments and
— whether it was my el- she will be going for her Williams won the last three said he hoped to “put on
bow, my knee, or, in the 22nd Grand Slam title. That WTA Finals, which features “It’s an exhibition match,” the right show and per-
final moments after a cer- would tie Steffi Graf for the world’s top eight play- Nadal added, as Djokovic form well” for the Bangkok
tain match in Flushing, my most in the Open era. ers. She has won the tour- smiled. “The purpose is to crowd.
heart,” Williams said in a “This is a very difficult de- nament a total of five times. try to play a good match Djokovic and Nadal have
statement. cision, but one ultimately “Serena’s health has to where we have some fun faced each other 43 times
Williams pulled out of next made because of the love be her No. 1 priority,” WTA and create good fun for in tour-level matches, with
week’s China Open in Bei- of the game,” Williams said. president Micky Lawler said the people.” Nadal went Nadal winning 23. Djokov-
jing and the season-ending “I plan to return to practic- in a statement Thursday. on to lavish Djokovic with ic’s two wins over Nadal
WTA Finals in Singapore ing and participating in ex- “The risk of injury is a reality praise — and express some this year were on clay, the
from Oct. 25-Nov. 1. hibition matches later this in the world of elite athletic apparent skepticism about Spaniard’s best surface.
“I want to compete as well beating the 28-year-old Before Friday’s match, the
as I can as long as I can,” Serb who also won the Aus- two players will get full VIP
she said. “So I’m taking a tralian Open and Wimble- treatment with an escort-
proactive step and with- don, and has clinched the ed visit to the Grand Pal-
drawing from tournaments year-end No. 1-ranking for ace followed by a meeting
in Beijing and Singapore to the fourth time. with Prime Minister Prayuth
properly address my health “Novak is having an amaz- Chan-ocha.
and take the time to heal.” ing season. I texted him af- Djokovic last came to
ter the U.S. Open but I want Thailand in 2008 when he
to say today in a public lost the final of the Thai-
way, it’s amazing the way land Open to Jo-Wilfried
that he’s playing during Tsonga, while Nadal visited
the whole season,” Nadal the capital in 2010 for the
said. “The mental strength same tournament and lost
and the level of tennis is in the semifinals.q
