Sports / Tennis |
Chinese Wimbledon hope Li Na out due to injury(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-06-23 00:30 Chinese Wimbledon hope Li Na has pulled out of the Grand Slam tournament due to a rib injury. In men's singles, Mario Ancic also joined the list of withdrawals from Wimbledon, which includes Gaston Gaudio, Xavier Malisse Vera Zvonareva, Anastasia Myskina and Zheng Jie. Li, seeded 18th in women's singles, will be replaced by Alize Cornet of France and Frank Dancevic of Canada will fill in Ancic's spot. Li became the first Chinese to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament on her first appearance in the main draw at last year's Wimbledon. But the 25-year-old picked up a rib injury at Edgbason that forced her out of the Eastbourne tournament this week. "Medical staff have suggested she stops all training and competition to rest and heal," the Chinese Tennis Association said in a statement. Li's absence leaves this year's Wimbledon women's singles draw without a Chinese name as Zheng Jie, who won the both the Wimbledon and Australian doubles titles with partner Yan Zi last year, has already been forced out because of a left ankle injury. Ancic, who had been seeded 18th, reached the semifinals at the All England Club in 2004. He has been sidelined for months with mononucleosis, and also pulled out of the French Open last month. The Croatian probably is best known as the last player to beat Roger Federer at Wimbledon, upsetting the Swiss in the first round in 2002. |
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