Venus Williams will miss the remainder of the 2010 tennis season, including next month’s Fed Cup final showdown with Italy, because of a nagging left knee injury, the third-ranked US star said on Wednesday.
Williams has not played since losing to eventual champion Kim Clijsters in last month’s US Open semifinals and had not played before that since falling in the Wimbledon quarter-finals in June.
Williams and her top-ranked sister Serena, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion, had planned to play for the Americans at San Diego on November 6-7 against defending champions Italy in the Fed Cup final.
“Venus is done for the rest of the season with a left knee injury,” US Fed Cup captain Mary Joe Fernandez said. “It’s unfortunate that Venus is hurt again and won’t be able to play in the Fed Cup final.
“We wish her a speedy recovery so that she is ready for next year.”
The Williams sisters must play twice for the US Fed Cup squad between now and the 2012 London Olympics to be eligible for those Games.
With Venus Williams out, the door is open for either Melanie Oudin or Bethanie Mattek-Sands to play singles and doubles star Liezel Huber figures to take the court now that the Williams sisters cannot play doubles together.
Serena Williams has not played since winning the Wimbledon crown after cutting her feet on broken glass, although like her sister she had said she would play in the Fed Cup final.
The Americans have not won the Fed Cup since 2000, losing to Italy in last year’s final without the Williams sisters, who last played Fed Cup in 2007.
Venus Williams finishes the season with singles crowns at Dubai and Acapulco last February and doubles titles alongside Serena at the French and Australian Opens and Madrid. She won more than $2.5 million.
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