Renek
Aug 10th, 2005, 09:47 PM
This is sad guys......Mary get well soon....We love you!!!!!!!!:kiss: :kiss:
Mary Pierce will not be winning titles in back-to-back weeks.
The sixth-seeded Frenchwoman withdrew from the $585,000 JP Morgan Chase Open on Wednesday after suffering a right thigh strain in practice.
"I was practicing yesterday and it was at the every end when I was hitting some serves that I felt it on the serve," said Pierce, ranked 14th in the world. "I continued to finish my practice and was feeling it on every serve I was hitting."
Pierce had been enjoying a successful summer season. The two-time Grand Slam champion won her 17th career title and first U.S. outdoor hardcourt crown Sunday in San Diego before being forced out with the injury.
"I'm really disappointed because I've been playing really well," said Pierce, who had won 16 of her last 18 matches, including a run to the French Open final and a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon last month. "I was looking forward to continuing my performance of last week into this week as well."
After sustaining the injury, Pierce visited the trainers for treatment that helped ease the pain, but it was short-lived.
"It was feeling better in the evening and I thought I'll be OK," she said. "But it woke me up quite a few times in the night because anytime I would contract me leg muscle it would really hurt.
"This morning it was really sore, and when I was coming down the stairs it was really painful. I thought, 'OK, this is not good.'"
Pierce returned to the trainers to get it checked out Wednesday morning, hours before she was to face Tathiana Garbin of Italy in a second-round match after drawing a first-round bye. However, there was no improvement, especially on the service motion.
"It's really painful. I'm not able to serve, I can't push off on it," said Pierce, who will be replaced by Saori Obata of Japan. "I've never had a thigh injury, so it's something unknown to me. It's something that needs rest."
Pierce will head home to Sarasota, Fla., for several days of rest, where she will evaluate her physical being. She is planning to play the U.S Open, which begins August 29, but could miss next week's WTA Tour stop in Toronto.
"I know I have the U.S. Open in 2 1/2 weeks, and I can't make any comments about whether I'm going to play in Toronto," Pierce said. "I'm just going to go home have treatment. In 3-4 days I'm going to see how it feels. And we'll see."
Pierce is no stranger to injuries. During her 16 years on tour, she has been sidelined with a variety of ailments, including chronic inflammation of the lumbar spine, right rotator cuff tendintis, abdominal strains and ankle tendinitis.
"It's tough. I always want to play, that's toughest part," she confessed. "With proper treatment I should be OK in a few days. It's nothing that's going to end the season for me or anything like that."
Despite the setback, Pierce remained upbeat.
"Everything happens for a reason and I just take that in a positive way," she said. "I guess I'm supposed to rest and go home."
Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova -- the second through fourth seeds, respectively -- all play second-round matches Wednesday at the U.S. Open warmup event.
Mary Pierce will not be winning titles in back-to-back weeks.
The sixth-seeded Frenchwoman withdrew from the $585,000 JP Morgan Chase Open on Wednesday after suffering a right thigh strain in practice.
"I was practicing yesterday and it was at the every end when I was hitting some serves that I felt it on the serve," said Pierce, ranked 14th in the world. "I continued to finish my practice and was feeling it on every serve I was hitting."
Pierce had been enjoying a successful summer season. The two-time Grand Slam champion won her 17th career title and first U.S. outdoor hardcourt crown Sunday in San Diego before being forced out with the injury.
"I'm really disappointed because I've been playing really well," said Pierce, who had won 16 of her last 18 matches, including a run to the French Open final and a quarterfinal showing at Wimbledon last month. "I was looking forward to continuing my performance of last week into this week as well."
After sustaining the injury, Pierce visited the trainers for treatment that helped ease the pain, but it was short-lived.
"It was feeling better in the evening and I thought I'll be OK," she said. "But it woke me up quite a few times in the night because anytime I would contract me leg muscle it would really hurt.
"This morning it was really sore, and when I was coming down the stairs it was really painful. I thought, 'OK, this is not good.'"
Pierce returned to the trainers to get it checked out Wednesday morning, hours before she was to face Tathiana Garbin of Italy in a second-round match after drawing a first-round bye. However, there was no improvement, especially on the service motion.
"It's really painful. I'm not able to serve, I can't push off on it," said Pierce, who will be replaced by Saori Obata of Japan. "I've never had a thigh injury, so it's something unknown to me. It's something that needs rest."
Pierce will head home to Sarasota, Fla., for several days of rest, where she will evaluate her physical being. She is planning to play the U.S Open, which begins August 29, but could miss next week's WTA Tour stop in Toronto.
"I know I have the U.S. Open in 2 1/2 weeks, and I can't make any comments about whether I'm going to play in Toronto," Pierce said. "I'm just going to go home have treatment. In 3-4 days I'm going to see how it feels. And we'll see."
Pierce is no stranger to injuries. During her 16 years on tour, she has been sidelined with a variety of ailments, including chronic inflammation of the lumbar spine, right rotator cuff tendintis, abdominal strains and ankle tendinitis.
"It's tough. I always want to play, that's toughest part," she confessed. "With proper treatment I should be OK in a few days. It's nothing that's going to end the season for me or anything like that."
Despite the setback, Pierce remained upbeat.
"Everything happens for a reason and I just take that in a positive way," she said. "I guess I'm supposed to rest and go home."
Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova, Elena Dementieva and Nadia Petrova -- the second through fourth seeds, respectively -- all play second-round matches Wednesday at the U.S. Open warmup event.