Wuhan boss says Serena absence ‘unfortunate’

wuhan — Serena Williams’ withdrawal from the Wuhan Open was “unfortunate”, the tournament’s director said on Tuesday, after the American star ruled herself out of the injury-hit tournament for the second year in a row.

The 22-time Grand Slam champion pulled out of the Chinese event — and next week’s China Open in Beijing — with a shoulder injury, robbing it of its best known player.

“It’s unfortunate but we understand. It’s the nature of the sport,” Fabrice Chouquet told AFP. “We hope to see her here in 2017.”

Williams has only made it to the hot and humid Wuhan Open once, in 2014, when she retired from her first match against Alize Cornet with illness.

Last year, she was also injured and skipped the entire Asian swing, a busy period which culminates in the season-ending WTA Finals in Singapore.

The Wuhan Open, held just after the year’s final Grand Slam tournament, the US Open, has become bedevilled with injury problems, witnessing a series of retirements.

Six players retired mid-match in the first two days of this year’s tournament, while another five suffered the same fate last year — including Garbine Muguruza in the final.

“We are towards the end of the season and we know the players have played a lot and we know that some of them are very tired,” said Chouquet.

“A player never retires by pleasure. They retire because they have to.”

Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) chief Steve Simon has vowed “fundamental changes” to the sport’s gruelling schedule, which has added eight tournaments in China since 2008.

“The circuitry structure is on the agenda,” Chouquet said, adding that there could be changes to the schedule by the 2018 season. —