Venus Williams uncertain to be part of the Australian Open – Tennis Special
Former world number one, Venus Williams of the United States, has delayed her comeback to the professional tennis circuit by pulling out of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, next month. Less can be said about her participation
in the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, the Australian Open, in the month of January next season.
The seven-time grand Slam champions is currently battling with her illness and debilitating physical fitness to make her way back to the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) season. Venus is suffering from Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune
disease, which has sidelined her from professional tennis for most parts of the 2011 season, allowing her to play merely 11 matches in the entire year.
The 31-year-old American veteran was ranked at number five at the beginning of 2011 WTA season but her absences from the courts have thrown her to the 102nd spot by the end of the circuit. Venus committed earlier that
she will be seen in action on the hard courts of Auckland in January but announced on Monday that she is in no position of playing professional tennis at present.
Venus’ withdrawal from the ASB Classic brought sheer disappointment to her tennis fans, who were anxiously waiting to see their favourite tennis star in action at the start of the new WTA season. Venus has claimed that her illness
has taken a huge toll out of her and she needs to get 100 per cent fit before making her comeback to the professional circuit.
Although it is heart-breaking for the tennis lovers to wait even more for the return of the former world number one but it certainly appears to be a wise decision on behalf of Venus. At the age of 31, Venus must not put her physical
fitness at risk by making an early comeback without fully recovering from her illness and better wait for the appropriate moment before stepping on courts.
Venus’ participation at the Australian Open next month is still a question. The American has not yet announced her decision to being a part of the mega event’s field or not but it is her physical fitness which will entirely determine
her choice. The Grand Slam Down Under will be beginning from 16th of January next year and Venus has got less than a month’s time to get herself prepared for the huge task. At present, it doesn’t seem that the American veteran will be able to get
100 per cent fit and ready for the Australian Open campaign but Venus has always surprised everyone with her emphatic returns to the tennis courts. It won’t be surprising if Venus make her comeback to the Australian Open with merely one week’s training and
beat all the odds to claim her eighth Grand Slam title. She had some memorable returns to the professional circuit out of injury in the past and no wonder the American can deliver another stunning one next month.
Venus’ this year’s Australian Open campaign lasted till the third round, where she pulled out from the event due injury. She has never won a Grand Slam title in Melbourne and her best run was in 2003, when she lost to sister, Serena
Williams, in the final of the event. At the present, fewer chances exist of her participation to the Australian Open, probably which will be a good choice for her in making a long-lasting return to the WTA tour.
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