In case you missed my drunken posting last night, Maria has withdrawn from Montreal due to her previously reported shoulder injury. She is getting an MRI done today.
Here's what she said in her post-match presser:
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Bad news, you guys, because I'm withdrawing. It was pretty obvious out there. Coming into this tournament, I wasn't quite sure if I was going to be able to compete. In the last few weeks, I've been struggling with trying to find a solution to the aggravation I did to the shoulder back in Indian Wells in one of the matches. I haven't really found the solution yet.
I just spoke to a couple doctors that are here, you know. They advised me to really try to find the cause of the problem, sort of what's causing my bursitis, because they think there's something else behind it rather than just that.
So, you know, tomorrow I'm going to head to the doctor's office - it's obviously too late right now - and get an MRI, this specific MRI they want me to take, see, kind of go from there.
It's obviously unfortunate. You know, you try to do every little possible thing you can. But at the end of the day when you go on court, you're thinking about aggravating things, you're thinking about, you know, an injury. It's not just really the way to play, so...Q. The obvious question is the Olympics and the US Open. What is your gut feeling about them?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: My gut feeling? I think the results tomorrow, you know, will help me with the bigger picture. But, I mean, at the end of the day, it's tough to go on court and not be close to even, I mean, 50%. I'm too good of a player to go out there and try to fight through something that I think can eventually become something serious.Q. Looked like you were a million miles away in between points. I guess you were thinking about how it was feeling...
MARIA SHARAPOVA: Obviously, I was not even sure if I was going to continue in the beginning of the third set because it was getting worse as the match went on. I mean, it's tough to fly all the way to Montréal and play two sets and say, I'm done. Maybe that's the right thing to do. But I have too many fans out there watching me that support me, you know, on a daily basis to kind of say, I'm going to head home... At least I finished the match.
So her participation in Beijing is looking iffy. Sounds like her team is finally dealing with the reality that her shoulder pain is not an acute injury and that it's something that could require her to take some significant time off. It's a real shame because I love watching her play and I especially love watching her compete. But I do have the feeling that this shoulder situation will require surgery, and who knows if Masha will be the same after that.
