Azarenka pulls out of Rogers Cup with knee injury

MONTREAL, CANADA - AUGUST 10: Victoria Azarenka of Belarus announces her withdrawal during a press conference at the Rogers Cup at the Uniprix Stadium on August 10, 2012 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)

MONTREAL (AP) - Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka withdrew from the Rogers Cup on Friday because of a knee injury, but she hopes to be ready for the US Open.

Azarenka was tied 3-3 in her second-round match against Tamira Paszek when it was suspended by rain Thursday night. The 23-year-old Belarusian won two Olympic medals in London, taking gold in mixed doubles and bronze in singles.

"I hope it is a short-term thing, but I don't know,'' Azarenka said. "I have to kind of stop and just take a little bit of time off because I absolutely had no rest for a long period of time.''

Azarenka said she'll skip the Western and Southern Open next week in Cincinnati. Getting ready for the final major of the year is her top priority, she said.

"The first is to get healthy, to make sure that I'm a hundred percent ready to play at the (US) Open,'' Azarenka said.

Meanwhile, Lucie Safarova upset Samantha Stosur 7-6 (9), 7-6 (5) to reach the quarterfinals. Caroline Wozniacki, the 2010 champion, defeated qualifier Kiki Bertens 7-5, 6-1.

Petra Kvitova dispatched Marion Bartoli 6-1, 6-1.

Azarenka said the knee did not bother her during the Olympic tournament, which was held on the grass courts of Wimbledon.

"It actually just happened when I came here,'' Azarenka said about practicing on the Montreal hardcourts. ``When I started to train, the first time I hit it was a little bit of a compensation from the other court and it just happened.''

Also sidelined is second-ranked Maria Sharapova, who withdrew Wednesday because of a virus.

 

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