Posted at 11:39 a.m., Thursday, July 19, 2007
Tennis: Serena Williams withdraws from tournament
Associated Press
STANFORD, Calif. — Serena Williams, still hampered by a thumb injury that has forced her to pull out of three events since Wimbledon, withdrew from the Bank of the West Classic today.Williams, who is ranked No. 7 in the world, would have been the top-ranked player in the tournament, which begins Monday.
The competition at Stanford University will still have 20 of the world's top 50 women players, organizers said.
"Even without Serena, the depth of this year's field is very strong," said tournament director Adam Barrett. "The overall balance from top-to-bottom should make for some very exciting tennis."
Williams made the quarterfinals at Wimbledon earlier this month, losing to Justin Henin. She has never won the Bank of the West Classic, though her sister Venus has taken the title twice.
Anna Chakvetdatze, the 20-year-old Russian who has risen to No. 8 in the world, now leads the field at the Stanford tournament.
Marion Bartoli, who has climbed to a career-best ranking of No. 11 after a standout performance at Wimbledon this year, also remains in the field.
