The “Queensland curse” might have struck again for Maria Sharapova but the world No.2 believes her Australian Open plans are still on track.
The reigning French Open champion has been forced to pull out of the Brisbane International for the third time in as many attempts after being restricted at training by a collarbone complaint.
But Sharapova was hardly feeling unlucky ahead of the year’s opening grand slam which starts on January 14.
The Russian glamour was quick to remind a media conference on Tuesday that she withdrew from last year’s Brisbane event due to injury, only to defy the form guide and storm into the Australian Open final which she lost to Victoria Azarenka.
“It is much more important to be healthy than go out and play a lot of matches – last year was a good example,” she said.
“I have had my fair share of experience, I know how important it is just to be healthy going into a big tournament rather than having a lot of matches and feeling you are not prepared.
“It is feeling much better. Soon I will be able to do all the things that I have to.”
Sharapova pulled out of last year’s tournament with an ankle injury before even arriving in Brisbane and, in 2007, she was a late withdrawal from the event which was then hosted by the Gold Coast.
Alarm bells were ringing for Brisbane organisers again when Sharapova withdrew from a recent exhibition event in South Korea due to a neck complaint.
She smiled when asked if she suffered from a “Queensland curse”.
“No, not at all. It is just the circumstances. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” she said.
“You never know about these things. Leave it up to me to find something new (injury).
“To be fair, I haven’t given myself a chance to hit any serves or anything over my head. I’ve just been practising groundstrokes – I just ran out of time here.”
Sharapova will head straight to Melbourne to prepare for the Australian Open.
“I still have quite a bit of time for the Australian Open and I’m on the right track and training really well and I don’t want to jeopardise what I’ve gained in the off-season so far and I just need to make a smart move now,” she said.
Sharapova’s withdrawal is a boost for Australian wildcard Jarmila Gajdosova, who was due to face the Russian in the second round.
Instead, Gajdosova will on Wednesday play world No.116 Lesia Tsurenko from Ukraine, a lucky loser from qualifying who earns promotion into the main draw because Sharapova hadn’t played a match due to her first-round bye.
Victory for Gajdosova would vault her into a quarter-final with Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, who upset fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Sara Errani 6-4 1-6 7-5 on Tuesday.