Maria Sharapova won’t play at the US Open!


MONTREAL – JULY 30: Maria Sharapova of Russia has her shoulder worked on in the second set against Marta Domachowska of Poland during Day 3 of Rogers Cup Tennis on July 30,2008 at Stade Uniprix in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Sharapova won’t play final Slam: U.S. Open official

Tennis star Maria Sharapova, who announced on her website on Thursday that she will miss the upcoming Beijing Games, will likely miss the U.S. Open, too.

An official from the U.S. Open told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Sharapova’s shoulder injury will force her to miss the the last Grand Slam event of 2008.

Sharapova is suffering from torn tendons in her right shoulder. She gutted out a three-set win Wednesday night at the Rogers Cup in Montreal over Poland’s Marta Domachowska but withdrew from the tournament after the match.

Sharapova began 2008 with an Australian Open win, her third career Grand Slam. She has a 32-4 record this year, but lost in the fourth round at the French Open and in the second round at Wimbledon.

She said on her website she first noticed shoulder problems in March during the WTA event at Indian Wells, Calif.

Forbes magazine recently listed the Russian-born Sharapova as the richest female athlete in the world, with earnings of $26 million US over the past year. Sharapova, 21, has lived in the U.S. for over half her life.

CBC Sports will broadcast both Rogers Cup semifinals on Saturday (3 p.m. ET, 7 p.m. ET), followed by the championship final on Sunday (1:30 p.m. ET).

The U.S. Open begins on Aug. 25. Sharapova won the event in 2006.

Last year’s U.S. Open champ, two-time winner Justine Henin surprised the tennis world in the spring by announcing her retirement.


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