Saturday, March 20, 2010

Serena, del Potro withdraw from Key Biscayne

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) -Add 12-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro to the list of top players pulling out of the Sony Ericsson Open.

Williams, a five-time winner of the hard-court event, is out because of the left knee injury that has sidelined the American since her Australian Open title.

Del Potro has a right wrist injury that has bothered him since the start of the season.

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The tournament announced their withdrawals Friday, two days after saying Maria Sharapova wouldn't participate because of a bone bruise in her right elbow. Second-ranked Dinara Safina and 2008 champion Nikolay Davydenko also withdrew.

The 13-day tournament begins Tuesday. The field still includes Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Venus Williams.

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