Andrea Petkovic has a lower back stress fracture, which forced her to have an injury timeout during her 7-5 6-4 loss to Agnieszka Radwanska in the second round of the Apia International Sydney, and will not play the upcoming Australian Open.
The tenth-ranked Petkovic would have been seeded No.10 at the Grand Slam. Last year the top German played the quarterfinals of three Grand Slams, including the Australian Open.
Petkovic’s withdrawal came just after Venus Williams confirmed she would have to skip the tournament due to her Sjogren’s syndrome. (photo: sr_cranks)
How disappointing to read this, Andrea was one of the most consistent players in 2011, and it seemed like her big breakthrough at a Grand Slam tournament could happen at any time. I hope she is back soon.