Hurt Maria skips Olympics
Injury has ruled Russia tennis superstar Maria Sharapova out of the Beijing Olympics. The world No 3 was forced to withdraw from the WTA Rogers Open in Montreal after a three-hour second-round win over Poland’s Marta Domachowska.
An MRI scan revealed that she had torn two small ligaments in her shoulder, an injury that the 21-year-old says has been troubling her for some time. Sharapova will now miss the US Open as well as the Olympics and is not expected back on court for eight weeks.
Jankovic on way to top
Jelena Jankovic, who was denied the No 1 spot when she fell to in-form Russian Dinara Safina in the semi-finals at the Los Angeles East West Bank Classic recently, will finally grab the position at the top of the WTA rankings.
When the WTA publishes its latest list on August 11, the Serb, who has never reached a Grand Slam singles final, will take the No 1 position from her countrywoman, Ana Ivanovic.
Jankovic will become the 18th female world No 1 since 1975. “Since I was a young girl, it has been my dream to become No 1 in the world,” Jankovic said.
A-Rod fuels Games debate
Andy Roddick’s withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics in order to defend his Legg Mason Classic title in Washington has prompted some to question whether tennis should be dropped from the Games.
Roddick was unapologetic in his announcement, saying: “My goal every summer is to win the US Open, I’ve won the Classic three times and defending my title best prepares me for another Grand Slam.”
But the tournament and the Olympic are held during the same week, leading to concerns that the Olympics are not high on the agenda for most players.
Nadal closer to summit
Rafael Nadal is set to end Roger Federer’s reign at the top of the ATP rankings later this month. The Spaniard was guaranteed to replace the Swiss by August 11 if he finished runner-up or better in the Cincinnati Masters or by August 18 if he fell at the semi-final stage.
He lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals and will have to wait, albeit just for a few more days, before he’s officially crowned the best men’s player in the world.
