MOSCOW, October 7 (R-Sport) - World No. 3 tennis player Maria Sharapova of Russia withdrew Monday from the season-ending WTA Championships in Istanbul as she continues to recover from injury.
Sharapova has played just one match in the last three months thanks to a right shoulder injury that curtailed a promising season for her, after she reached the French Open final in June.
"I am very disappointed that I will not be able to play,” Sharapova said on the WTA website. “The fans in Istanbul have welcomed us each year with such intense passion and warmth, I will sincerely miss the energy and excitement they brought to the year-end tournament.”
“I want to thank Istanbul for being a tremendous host and hope to play in Turkey sometime in the future."
As well as her injury, Sharapova is currently without a coach. She fired eight-time Grand Slam winner Jimmy Connors after just one match with him, a second-round defeat to Sloane Stephens at Cincinnati in August.
Sharapova’s absence opens up another spot at the WTA Championships, for which the top eight women in the rankings qualify automatically. World No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki is favorite to take that spot, but could yet be overtaken by No. 10 Angelique Kerber.
The players who have already qualified are world No. 1 Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka, Agnieszka Radwanska, Li Na, Sara Errani, Petra Kvitova and Jelena Jankovic.
The championships will be played from October 21 to 27 and will have a $6 million prize fund.
