Tennis: Injured Kim Clijsters, Petra Kvitova out of 2011 Mercury Insurance Open

Lauren LynchJul 26, 2011

2011 Slam champions and US Open favorites, Kim Clijsters and Petra Kvitova, pulled out of the Mercury Insurance Open that begins on August 1 due to injuries.

World No. 2 and Australian Open winner Clijsters said that she had healed from the right ankle injury she suffered during the clay-court season at her brother's wedding but that she will not risk it for the upcoming hard-court tournament, like she did for Wimbledon.

Wimbledon champion and 21-year-old Petra Kvitova reported that she had abdominal pain but there have been no details about a specific injury. It has been mentioned that she suffered a leg injury in her inner thigh at the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

“I am sorry I am unable to play in the Mercury Insurance Open this year but I’m still recovering from an injury that happened at Wimbledon,” Kvitova said to the Associated Press.

Both were signed up for the Rogers Cup in Toronto in two weeks but they have made no confirmation about participating yet. The US Open begins on August 29 and will expect the defending champion Clijsters to be there.

The field in San Diego will include its defending champion, as well as Svetlana Kuznetsova, World No. 3 Vera Zvonareva, Andrea Petkovic, Julia Goerges, Ana Ivanovic, and many more top names.