Maria Sharapova out of US Open; Williams, Azarenka to fight it out

2006 champion Maria Sharapova pulled out of the U.S. Open on Wednesday because of a right shoulder injury.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced the withdrawal of the 2006 champion, who has played only one match on tour since her second-round loss at Wimbledon in June.

Sharapova originally was seeded third at the U.S. Open. The USTA said 2012 Wimbledon runner-up Agnieszka Radwanksa would shift from No. 4 to No. 3, and all other seeded players below her would move up a spot, too.

"I just wanted to let you know that withdrawing from the U.S. Open has been a really tough decision to make. I have done everything I could since Wimbledon to get myself ready but it just wasn't enough time," read a message posted on Sharapova's Facebook page Wednesday. "I have done many tests, received several opinions and it all comes down to taking the proper amount of time to heal my shoulder injury properly."

The USTA said Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova would become the No. 32 seed.

The draw for the year's last Grand Slam tournament is Thursday. Play begins on Monday.

Sharapova's surprising exit caps a tumultuous couple of weeks for the four-time major winner and former No. 1-ranked player.

She was sidelined by a hip injury after Wimbledon, then hired Jimmy Connors as her coach — an arrangement that lasted all of one match, a loss.

Sharapova last skipped the U.S. Open in 2008, when she was off the tour for about 10 months because of surgery on her right shoulder.

She won her first major title since that operation at last year's French Open, completing a career Grand Slam.

Earlier Wednesday, former top-10 player Mardy Fish withdrew from the U.S. Open, citing personal reasons.

Serena favored but Azarenka threatens at US Open

World number one Serena Williams enters the US Open as a heavy favourite to defend her title, but second-ranked Victoria Azarenka leads a host of rivals looking to dethrone her.

Williams is seeking her 17th Grand Slam singles crown and fifth US Open title, which would move her one shy of Chris Evert's Open-era record for most titles at the year's final major event on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts.

"I'm definitely prepared. I'm definitely ready for New York," Williams said. "I definitely had more matches than I could want, but I'm definitely prepared for the US Open."

The 31-year-old American has been on an amazing run over the past 14 months, going 77-4 and capturing last year's Wimbledon, London Olympic and US Open titles, plus this year's French Open crown.

But two of those defeats came at the hands of Azarenka, in last February's Doha final and last Sunday at the WTA final in Cincinnati by a score of 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8/6).

It was only the third victory for the 24-year-old from Belarus over Williams but with the two having won seven of the past nine Grand Slam titles, it sets the stage for a potential rematch of last year's US Open final.

"It would be totally different circumstances," said Williams, who also beat Azarenka in this year's Rome final.
"It's just a new event. You just got to go in there with a fresh mind."

Williams will go into the Open without a win streak such as she had the past few Grand Slam events.

"It makes me more relaxed and almost happy that I lost because now I don't have to worry about every day someone asking me about some silly winning streak," Williams said. "So maybe it was for the best."

Williams also finds herself in a cordial rivalry, appreciating Azarenka off the court as a friend and on the court as an adversary.

"She's so competitive on the court, like an animal, and I'm the same exact way, like my dad described me as a pitbull," Williams said.

Williams is looking for her ninth title of the year after triumphs at Brisbane, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros, Bastad and Toronto.

But she has proven vulnerable in Grand Slams, falling to compatriot Sloane Stephens in the Australian Open quarter-finals and Germany's Sabine Lisicki in the fourth round at Wimbledon, but completing her title run on Paris clay with a victory over Russia's Maria Sharapova.

"Every time we play, I face a big challenge, my biggest opponent, and that's what I want to go through," Azarenka said.

"I had tough losses before against her, but I feel like I learned from those losses, and it helps me improve. I feel like I'm playing better and better. I'm reaching for the new level that I want to be at, physically, mentally, tennis-wise and that's the progression that I'm really the most excited about."

Azarenka took confidence from rallying to beat Williams in the Cincinnati final, but says the American will be the favourite on home soil.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.