MOSCOW, July 28 (R-Sport) - Maria Sharapova said Sunday that a hip injury had forced her to withdraw from next week’s $2.37 million Rogers Cup in Toronto, the second year in a row the world No. 2 has missed Canada’s main women’s tennis tournament.
The Russian has not played since her shock second-round defeat at Wimbledon to Portuguese qualifier Maria Larcher de Brito last month.
“I’m extremely disappointed that I am unable to play in Toronto next week, as it’s one of the best and most important tournaments of the year,” Sharapova said on the tournament website.
“I was looking forward to making a healthy return to the courts in front of my Canadian fans, but unfortunately I’m just not recovered yet.”
That means Sharapova has delayed her first match under new coach Jimmy Connors, appointed earlier this month.
Sharapova missed last year’s Rogers Cup blaming an illness. The WTA Premier 5 tournament runs from August 3 to 11.
