Sharapova out of Olympics due to shoulder woes

Serena Williams' professed intention to win gold in Beijing just got a little more credible, with Russian darling Maria Sharapova dropping out of the Games with a shoulder injury.

The BBC has reported that Sharapova reluctantly made the decision yesterday.

Sharapova needed on-court treatment during her match on Wednesda

The problem caused the 21-year-old Russian to withdraw from this week's WTA Rogers Open in Montreal.

She was in pain in her second-round 7-5 5-7 6-2 win over Poland's Marta Domachowska and an MRI scan revealed two small tears.

"This is something that needs a lot of time to heal. It really hurts me to say I have to miss the Olympics," she said.

"After Wednesday's match I knew there was something seriously wrong with my shoulder," added Sharapova on her official website.

"After taking a few different exams and MRI's, the doctors found two small tears in the tendons of my shoulder.

"There are so many mixed feelings because on Wednesday night they were almost positive there was something wrong with my nerve, which could have ultimately been much more serious.

"But after Thursday morning's tests, for the first time in a while, they were able to give me a different answer and a different problem."

Sharapova is also a doubt for the US Open, which starts on 25 August in New York.

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