WUHAN, China - Maria Sharapova, who has been sidelined since Wimbledon due to a right leg injury, has announced she will return to the tour at next week's Dongfeng Motor Wuhan Open in Wuhan.
"I'm looking forward to getting back onto the match court in Wuhan," Sharapova said. "I have been working hard to get myself ready to compete again, and I can't wait to get back out there.
"I really enjoyed my visit to Wuhan last year."
Yi Guoqing, Tournament Director in Wuhan, was just as thrilled with the announcement.
"We are delighted to welcome Maria back to Wuhan," he commented. "Maria is an icon for tennis and for sport around the world. She joins an incredibly strong field of players for this year's tournament."
With the No.3-ranked Sharapova in, the field now includes 18 of the Top 19 players in the world.
Post time 22-9-2015 08:35 AMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
Maria Sharapova has accepted a wildcard into the Wuhan Open next week. The 28-year-old was forced to pull out of Toronto, Cincinnati and the U.S. Open with a leg injury, and hasn't competed since Wimbledon.
“I’ve been working hard to get myself ready to compete again and I can't wait to get back out,” the five-time Grand Slam champion said in a statement.
Simone Halep, Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki and Ana Ivanovic are also scheduled for Wuhan. Last year, Sharapova lost in the second round to Timea Bacsinszky.
Sharapova says she is close to feeling 100 percent following a frequently interrupted, but still fairly strong, 2015 season.
The Russian started the year by winning Brisbane and reaching the Australian Open final. She won both of her Fed Cup matches against Poland, but then pulled out of the semifinals of Acapulco with an illness. In March, she lost in the third round of Indian Wells against recent U.S. Open champion Flavia Pennetta, and then in Miami, she got injured before the tournament began and lost in the first round.
During the clay-court season, Sharapova reached the semifinals in Madrid and won the title in Rome, but then lost to eventual finalist Lucie Safarova in the fourth round of Roland Garros. At Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals, falling to Serena Williams.
Sharapova is also scheduled for Beijing and has already qualified for the WTA Finals in Singapore. Russia will face the Czech Republic in the Fed Cup final in Prague on November 14-15, and Sharapova will have to play in order to qualify for the 2016 Olympic Games.
Post time 22-9-2015 08:53 AMFrom the mobile phone|Show all posts
@ashburn yg-sayangkan-masha ... nk tanya apsal lak Masha accepts wild card to Wuhan sedangkan sheol world no3 & joined Wuhan last yr and also reached 2nd round?? Why didnt she receive direct entry?
Post time 21-9-2015 02:32 PM
