No serve Serena swerves Shara shootout
Injured US star Williams in agony as she faces a race against time to be fit for Wimbledon
SERENA WILLIAMS’ coach last night insisted she can still win Wimbledon despite the American superstar pulling out of the French Open in agony yesterday.
The new mum, 36, had been scheduled to face her old foe Maria Sharapova in a blockbuster fourth-round clash at Roland Garros.
But instead the 23-time Grand Slam winner called a press conference to announce she had sustained a pectoral muscle injury and would withdraw during a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time.
Williams said: “I have been having some issues with my pec muscle and it unfortunately has been getting worse to the point where right now I can’t actually serve.
“It’s kind of hard to play when I can’t physically serve. I’m beyond disappointed.
“I gave up so much time with my daughter and time with my family. I put everything on the court and I have made every sacrifice I could.
“But I made a promise to myself, my coach and my team if I’m not at least 60 or 50 per cent then I probably shouldn’t play. I have never had this before. This is so painful.”
World No.451 Williams, who gave birth to Alexis Olympia in September, has only played three tournaments and seven matches since winning the 2017 Australian Open.
The All England Club will now face a dilemma over whether to seed the seven-time champion when they meet on June 26 if she wins her race against time to get fit.
But coach Patrick Mouratoglou said: “The next plan is to get an MRI scan to know how bad it is and then do everything so she has the best chance to play Wimbledon and hopefully win it – because that’s why she came back.
“We’ll know tomorrow whether we need two or three weeks – I hope not more – for her to be able to serve again.
“I feel it’s bad, there’s no way she could have played but I also feel one extra match would have made it worse and put Wimbledon in danger.”
Sharapova will now face Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza in the quarter-finals after her opponent Lesia Tsurenko pulled up injured in the first set of their clash. No.1 seed Simona Halep will take on Angelique Kerber but No.2 Caroline Wozniacki is out after a straight sets defeat by Daria-Kasatkina who meets American Sloane Stephens in the last eight.
I’m beyond disappointed. I made every sacrifice I could. This is so painful SERENA WILLIAMS