World number one Serena Williams will lose her top ranking on Monday after pulling out of the Kremlin Cup.
US Open champ snubs Moscow tournament
World number one Serena Williams will lose her top ranking on Monday after pulling out of the Kremlin Cup.
Moscow tournament organisers discovered on Friday that the 27-year-old will be unable to compete this year due to an ankle injury.
Williams reached the final in 2007, losing to Elena Dementieva, but the US Open champion has been forced to pull out after making a late decision on her fitness.
"My left ankle has been bothering me since the US Open and I need to take a break now to get it back to 100 percent," Williams said on the tournament's
official website.
Goal
The American, who will relinquish the number one spot to Serbia's Jelena Jankovic when the new rankings are released, insists she is determined to return to the summit of women's tennis as soon as she is fit.
"I have played a lot this year and my body needs to recover. My goal is to try and get the number one ranking back.
"My only wish now is that with a week to 10 days of rest I can recover and be at my best for the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha."
The women's field is the strongest in the 19-year history of the $2.3 million tournament, which starts on Monday, with eight of the world's top 10 players taking part.
Only Williams and world number six Maria Sharapova, who is nursing shoulder injury, are absent.
