PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Anna Kournikova,
who has been out of action since February because of a stress
fracture in her left foot, will not play again until she is sure
of her complete return to fitness, her agent said on Wednesday.
|  | | Anna Kournikova's agent says she does not want to risk reinjuring her foot. |
The Russian is scheduled to play at the Acura Classic in San
Diego (July 30-Aug. 5) and the Estyle Classic in Manhattan
Beach (Aug. 6-12). If she fails to return for those events,
Kournikova will drop out of the world's top 20 for the first
time since March 1998.
But Phil De Picciotto, Kournikova's agent, told Reuters:
"She's only 20 years old and there's no reason to start playing
again before she's completely healthy.
"She does not want to risk a recurrence of the injury.
There's different degrees of severity with this type of injury.
Only time heals it, and we are not sure when she'll be completely
healed.
"She needs to take time to get back into top condition.
That's the priority. She has a long career ahead of her."
In nearly six years on tour, the talented yet erratic
Kournikova has yet to win a singles title.
Kournikova is no longer wearing a plaster cast and is back
on the practice courts in Florida, but her camp won't say how
hard she is able to train or give an approximate date for her
return.
"Based on conversations with Anna Kournikova's
representatives it is unclear when she will return to the tour,"
Sanex WTA Tour COO Josh Ripple told Reuters.
Kournikova hasn't played since losing to Amelie Mauresmo in
the quarterfinals of the Open de Gaz in Paris in February.
After the tournament, she suffered a stress fracture in the
fifth metatarsal in her left foot. The extent of the fracture
has never been revealed, nor the type of treatment she has
received.
Dr Anthony Saglimbeni, the Director of Medical Affairs at
the Center for Sports Medicine at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose,
Calif., said that in all probability she was suffering from
a Jones Fracture, which can take up to a year to heal.
"If she's been out this long, it's not a common stress
fracture, which usually heals in four to six weeks,"
Saglimbeni said.
"Another reason for her being out this long is if she were
an anorexic type and wasn't getting enough calcium and good
nutrition, which sometimes happens with young female athletes.
"But she's obviously not anorexic. She appears to be fit.
The injury is probably closer to her ankle, where there is
restricted blood flow to the bone.
"The athlete can rest the injury and take weight off it
until there is no pain and then start to play, or she can elect
to have surgery, where they stick a pin into the foot, connect
the bones and try to heal the injury faster.
"Kournikova could return in another two weeks or another six
months." Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |
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