Belgians Win, Serena Re-joins Growing WTA Injury List at Toronto

Serena Williams joined the growing WTA Tour casualty list Wednesday at the WTA stop in Toronto, withdrawing from the event before her second match citing a left knee injury.

"Because of my ankle injury I had to take some time off so my leg isn't as strong as it needs to be," said Serena, competing in her first event since Wimbledon. "So the pain in my knee is a result of that."

Serena is the sixth Top 20 player to withdraw from the embattled Toronto event in the past week, joining such high-profile pull-outs as Maria Sharapova (chest muscle pull) and sister Venus (flu).

Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters both advanced easily in their opening-round matches Wednesday, with the No. 4-seeded Henin-Hardenne punishing Argentine qualifier Mariana Diaz-Oliva 6-1, 6-3, and the No. 7-seeded Clijsters one-upping her countrywoman with a bagel-baking 6-3, 6-0 effort against France's Virginie Razzano.
FOLDHERE
For Clijsters the biggest problem was just getting used to the new Rexall Centre.

"It just took me a while to get used to the new stadium," Clijsters said. "I didn't hit a ball the last two days until my warm-up today. I just wanted to have a couple days off without touching the racquet. Didn't want to have anything to do with tennis. I think you just have to get used to it a little bit again."

After a month of no tour competition, Henin-Hardenne was happy to be back in the "W" column.

"It's never easy to play a first match," Henin-Hardenne said. "For myself, it's my first round since Wimbledon. It's not especially easy. But it depends also from the opponent and how you deal with the situation."

Other seeded winners Wednesday were (6) Nadia Petrova (d. Karatantcheva from a set down), the struggling (9) Anastasia Myskina (d. (Q) Granville in three), (12) Ana Ivanovic (d. Bartoli from a set down), and (14) Flavia Pennetta (d. (LL) Ant. Serra Zanetti).

Seven other un-seeds advanced on the day in China's Li Na (d. Vento-Kabchi in three) and qualifier Zheng Jie (d. (17) Sugiyama from a set down) and Japan's Shinobu Asagoe (d. Jidkova) continuing the Asian onslaught, Spanish former No. 2 Conchita Martinez (d. (15) Safina), Czechs Nicole Vaidisova (d. (10) Dechy) and lucky loser Hana Sromova (d. (Q) Fujiwara, bagel in the third), and Argentine Gisela Dulko (d. (16) Golovin, bagel in the second and 6-1 in the third).

On Thursday's schedule are six former Slam finalists or winners in Kuznetsova vs. Dulko, Martinez vs. Mauresmo, Asagoe vs. Myskina, Ivanovic vs. Clijsters, Zheng vs. Henin-Hardenne, Petrova vs. Li, and Sromova vs. Vaidisova.