World No.4 Dominika Cibulkova has withdrawn from the Stuttgart Open due to a left wrist injury.
The current WTA Finals champion injured her wrist shortly before Slovakia’s fed Cup clash against the Netherlands. According to sportsy.sk, Cibulkova sustained the injury after falling awkwardly during a practice session on Friday. The impact resulted in the Slovak having her left hand placed in a splint and missing the Fed Cup tie, which her country lost 2-3.
Cibulkova’s decision about Stuttgart was made this morning following a visit to the doctor. Whilst the pain has subsided, she has been advised to miss this weekend’s tournament to avoid causing any further damage.
“This week will be rehabilitation awaiting me, but I can not start playing.” Cibulkova told national media. “I’m very sorry because I wanted to play Stuttgart.”
Since her Singapore triumph in October, Cibulkova is yet to reach the final of a WTA event. This season she currently has a win-loss record of 12-8 with her best performance being back-to-back semifinals in St. Petersburg and Doha.
As a consequence of the withdrawal, Garbine Muguruza will replace Cibulkova’s place in the draw and will have a first round bye. Replacing the vacant spot in the draw will be a lucky loser.
This week’s Premier tournament in Germany will see seven out of the world’s top-nine players participate. It will also mark the highly anticipated return of Maria Sharapova from her 15-month doping ban. Sharapova will play Roberta Vinci in her first match on Wednesday, followed by a potential encounter against Agnieszka Radwanska.
World No.1 Angelique Kerber in the defending champion and top seed in Stuttgart. The 29-year-old is bidding to win her 11th WTA title and her first of the season.
