Just a day after believing her injury woes were finally history, Amelie Mauresmo has been struck down in the Brisbane International.
She sustained the injury in the second game of her semifinal against compatriot Marion Bartoli but lasted three more before defaulting.
The 29 year old, who lost 15 consecutive points to trail 0-4, called for the trainer at the sixth deuce on her third service game but couldn’t return.
“I kept going [initially] but I couldn’t really push off the serve like I really wanted,” she admitted on Friday.
“Even though it’s frustrating and it’s not how you want to end a tournament, I guess it’s more reasonable to make sure I’m 100 per cent for Melbourne.”
It’s a massive emotional swing for Mauresmo who celebrated her best victory in two years only 24 hours before when she wiped world No.5 Ana Ivanovic off Rafter Arena, 6-3 6-2.
After the hour-long upset, the 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion stated she felt the fittest she had in two years.
Mauresmo’s ranking slipped from No.1 to outside the top-30 due to a string of injuries from early 2007, including previous thigh strains that kept her out of last year’s Medibank International Sydney and forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon warm-up Eastbourne.
The disappointed right-hander, still holding hope of being right for the January 19 start of the Open, could see the irony.
“I know, that’s the way it is,” she said. “You never know what’s going to happen and that’s why I did enjoy yesterday’s match and yesterday’s win [over Ivanovic] but that’s the way it is.
“I’ve been doing everything I can to avoid these kinds of moments.
“I just hope it’s not too bad and I can be good for Melbourne.
“At worst I’d hope that nine days … would be enough to make it feel much better.”
Mauresmo believed two long opening round victories over Jelena Dokic and Julie Coin, followed by the intense affair against Ivanovic, had contributed to the blow.
World No.17 Bartoli, winless in four previous matches against her good friend, knew something serious had occurred when Mauresmo called for treatment.
“It was a heart-breaker,” the third seed said. “I knew it was bad because Amelie never calls for the trainer.”
The 2007 Wimbledon finalist, Bartoli plays second seed Victoria Azarenka in Saturday night’s final after the powerful Belarusian disposed of Italian Sara Errani 6-3 6-1 in the other semifinal.
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