Share

Serena pulls out of Italian Open

Rome - Top-ranked Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Italian Open.

Tournament organisers announced Williams' decision without explanation shortly before she was scheduled to face fellow American Christina McHale, a qualifier, in the third round.

Williams was scheduled to meet with reporters later.

In her opener Tuesday, Williams cruised past 39th-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour.

The Italian Open is the last major warm-up for the French Open, which starts in 10 days.

Williams is the defending champion at the Foro Italico.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1817 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1777 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1084 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 461 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 187 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 254 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE