Wozniacki suffers French Open injury scare
PARIS: Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki retired from her firstround match against Shelby Rogers in Strasbourg, throwing her status for the French Open into doubt.
The world number 12 was trailing American Rogers 7-6 (8-6), 1-0 before she was forced to pull out after receiving treatment for a back injury.
Wozniacki, a two-time US Open finalist, missed Roland Garros last year with an ankle problem.
The women’s field for this year’s tournament, which starts in Paris on Sunday, is already without former champions Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
■ LONDON: Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka said she is “ready to start competing” again after the birth of her son and intends to target Wimbledon by taking part in one of grass events that precede it.
The 27-year-old Belarusian won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 and was beaten by Serena Williams in the US Open final in both years. Williams will miss Wimbledon this year after announcing her own pregnancy last month.
“My training has been progressing well and I feel ready to start competing,” Azarenka, who has not played since announcing her pregnancy in July 2016, said on Twitter. Her son, Leo, was born in December.
“I will be finalising my schedule before Wimbledon in the coming days – I plan to play one of the grass court events prior to Wimbledon,” she said. ■
NUREMBERG: Oceane Dodin of France upset third-seeded Zhang Shuai 6-7 (11-13), 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Nuremberg Cup.
The 57th-ranked Dodin next plays Japan’s Misaki Doi, who progressed after opponent Maria Sakkari of Greece retired after their first set.
Fifth-seeded Alison Riske of the US began her campaign by defeating Elise Mertens 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Riske next faces another Belgian, Kirsten Flipkens, who had already defeated Ajla Tomljanovic of Croatia at the clay-court tournament.
Sixth-seeded Julia Goerges defeated Japan’s Nao Hibino 7-5, 6-1, and fellow German Tatjana Maria, a wild card, had little difficulty beating Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova 6-0, 6-1. — Agencies