Stosur heads home for handy break

SAM Stosur has returned to Australia for a second scan after an MRI in Paris revealed the Queenslander has torn a muscle in her right hand.

The injury, which severely compromised Stosur’s French Open aspirations and contributed significantly to her fourth- round exit, is expected to heal before Wimbledon.

Stosur’s manager Paul Kilderry said the US Open champion had suffered a torn muscle between the second and third finger.

Stosur will rest for seven to 10 days before resuming training.

Her next scheduled event is at Eastbourne from June 24.

Stosur said the injury meant she was unable to use her two heaviest weapons – serve and forehand – in a shattering loss to Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko.

The Gold Coaster remains optimistic about playing Wimbledon.

“I’m still hopeful. I didn’t do anything to it, so I’m hopeful that it’s nothing too serious obviously,” Stosur said in Paris.

“I’m still planning on sticking to my schedule. But until I know what it is, I can’t really say anything.

“My hand’s been sore for about three or four days since the day I played doubles here.

“Don’t know what’s wrong with it.

“From 5- 1 in that first set, it was just really, really painful and just, yeah, wasn’t going away. So yesterday I barely hit and just tried to manage it.”