Anastasia Myskina's chances to defend her French Open tennis title look doubtful due to a nagging shoulder injury.
"I'm still optimistic, but we won't know until the end of next week," her coach Jens Gerlach said today.
"She's not 100 per cent now and she's receiving treatment at home in Moscow. If she can't train the week before Roland Garros, it will be difficult for her to go there and play the way she wants to."
The French Open at Roland Garros in Paris runs from May 23 to June 5.
Russian Myskina pulled out of next week's Italian Open today.
Earlier this week in Berlin she lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to German wild card Julia Schruff and she has only reached only one semifinal this year.
"Right now it's hard to think positive, but I'm hoping everything will turn out okay," Myskina said
"I'm trying to do my best, but it's not really working. When you lose a lot of matches, you lose confidence."
Myskina was unable to practise serving because of her injury.
Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title when she beat Elena Dementieva in the 2004 French Open final.
She lost in the Olympic semifinal to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne before winning a tournament in Moscow and leading her nation to the Fed Cup title.
Myskina ended 2004 ranked a career-high No 3.
- REUTERS
Tennis: Injured Myskina doubtful for French Open defence
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.