Sharapova and Halep’s pullout blow for Brisbane

Venus and Ivanovic shock first round losers in Auckland

Australian Open contenders Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep withdrew from the Brisbane International yesterday after suffering injuries less than two weeks before the first grand slam of the year.

Romanian top seed Halep was felled by inflammation in her left Achilles, an injury that hampered her 2015 campaign, but was hopeful of being fit in time for next week’s event in Sydney.

Russian Sharapova, the defending champion, was nursing an arm injury, which meant a premature exit and no matches at her only tournament before the Melbourne slam, which begins on January 18.

“I hurt my forearm in practice a couple days ago and need to precautionary withdraw with the #AusOpen starting,” Sharapova was quoted as saying by Brisbane tournament organisers.

Sharapova has long been dogged by injuries and missed last year’s US Open with a leg muscle injury and then suffered an arm injury on her return in China in October.

US Open finalist Roberta Vinci escaped any drama and became the first woman through to the last eight on the Brisbane hard courts after the Italian demolished Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 6-1.

Meanwhile, top two seeds Venus Williams and Ana Ivanovic were shock first round losers in the WTA Auckland Classic. Venus, 35, the tournament top seed and defending champion, was beaten in three sets by 18-year-old Russian

Daria Kasatkina, while Ivanovic went down in straight sets to British qualifier Naomi Broady.

On a day when the big names struggled, another former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki made it through to the second round but with an unconvincing display against the world No. 57 Danka Kovinic. Venus made an uncharacteristic 73 unforced errors against Kasatkina and after battling to take the first set 7-6 in a tiebreak she dropped the next two 3-6, 3-6.