MIAMI, (Reuters) – Seven-time grand slam winner Venus Williams has withdrawn from next week’s Sony Ericsson Open in Miami with an abdominal injury, tournament organisers said yesterday.
Williams suffered the injury at January’s Australian Open, where she retired from her third round match, and is currently receiving rehabilitation at home.
“I am very sorry to not be playing in the Sony Ericsson Open this year. It is one of my favorite tournaments on the circuit, especially because it is so close to my home in South Florida,” Williams said in a statement. “I look forward to returning to the tour soon.”
Williams’s sister Serena is also out of the tournament after suffering from a blood clot in one of her lungs.
The field at Miami for the tournament, which begins on Monday, features defending champion Kim Clijsters, current world number one Caroline Wozniacki and three-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova.
