Maria Sharapova has been forced to withdraw from her second round match at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford. Sharapova, who won her opening match against Jennifer Brady on Monday, cited a painful forearm as the reason for her retirement.
“Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from today’s match,” Sharapova said in a short statement released to the media. “Toward the end of Monday night’s match, I felt pain in my left forearm.
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“After yesterday’s scan, the doctor has recommended I don’t risk further injury. Monday night’s crowd was so special and I wish I could continue playing, but I have to make a preventative decision.”
It is a worrying development for the right-handed Sharapova, who was making her return from a thigh injury at the event in California. After coming back from a 15-month doping suspension in April, Sharapova has competed in just four tournaments, her best result coming in Stuttgart where she reached the quarterfinals.
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The world No.171 is scheduled to play in the coming weeks, having accepted a wildcard to the Rogers Cup in Toronto and another into Cincinnati. She is still waiting to hear whether she will be offered a wildcard into the US Open maindraw, although her ranking grants her an automatic place in qualifying.
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