Three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova has reportedly pulled out of a pre-Wimbledon grasscourt tournament in Birmingham due to illness. The former world number one revealed that she felt really tired during her stint during the claycourt season. She had posted impressive wins during the season including a semifinal run at the Roland Garros 2011 tournament. She lost the semifinal match to China’s Li Na on Thursday.
Sharapova said that she already felt ill during the second week of the French Open tournament.
The AEGON Classic in Birmingham starts on June 6 and is Sharapova’s usual warm-up grasscourt tournament before the Wimbledon event. The 2004 Wimbledon champion has not yet asked for a wildcard for the AEGON International tournament, which begins on June 12 in Eastbourne.
