Serena Withdraws From Charleston

Best news of the week. She's already lost the No. 1 ranking. There's no point in pushing an injured leg any further. From a press release:

CHARLESTON, SC (April 10, 2009) – Serena Williams has been forced to withdraw from this year’s Family Circle Cup due to a continuing left leg injury originally suffered at the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. The Family Circle Cup is scheduled to begin later this week with a strong player field headlined by four Top 10 players including World No. 3 and 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist Elena Dementieva, World No. 5 and 2004 Family Circle Cup Champion Venus Williams, World No. 6 and 2008 Family Circle Cup Finalist Vera Zvonareva, and World No. 10 and 2006 Family Circle Cup Champion Nadia Petrova. The Family Circle Cup, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Premier Event, is scheduled April 11-19, 2009, at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, SC.

"I am unable to compete this year at the Family Circle Cup as I need to give my leg injury time to heal,” commented Williams. “I will still be coming to Charleston next week to support the tournament, but hope to be back on its clay courts next year."

Serena Williams will appear in various off-court events at the Family Circle Cup, with specific details to be announced in the very near future.

“We’re disappointed to lose our defending champion to injury, but we still have an impressive player field headlined by a strong group of Top 10 players. Elena Dementieva, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist, has had a lot of success at this tournament and will now become our No. 1 seed,” said Eleanor Adams, Family Circle Cup Tournament Manager. “We hope that Serena makes a quick return to the Tour, and we wish her the best of luck on the rest of her season.”

The Family Circle Cup is scheduled April 11-19, 2009 at the Family Circle Tennis Center in Charleston, SC. The Family Circle Tennis Center is a public facility owned by the City of Charleston and operated by Meredith Corporation that also hosts a variety of additional events including concerts, festivals, tennis tournaments and other activities throughout the year. With over 21 million readers, Family Circle is one of the most widely read monthly magazines in America and is one of 14 leading subscription magazines owned by Meredith Corporation. The Tennis Center features a 10,200 seat stadium, Grand Lawn, 17 tennis courts lighted for night play, racquet club, and Pro Shop. For tickets or more info, call (843) 856-7900 or visit familycirclecup.com.