London (AFP) – Newly-crowned world number one Ashleigh Barty has pulled out of the Eastbourne International this week due to a recurring arm injury, but is hopeful of being fully fit for Wimbledon.
The French Open champion moved to the top of the rankings for the first time by winning the Birmingham Classic on Sunday.
However, a run of 12 straight victories has flared up an old injury that Barty is confident will respond to a short period of rest before the third Grand Slam of the season gets under way on July 1.
“It’s an injury that we’ve had to manage since I was 16 years old,” said Barty.
“When I have a spike in load it comes up – it’s a bone stress injury and I need to look after it, particularly in these first few days. We know how to manage it but it’s important to get on top of it straight away.
“I think we’ll be fine for Wimbledon, we just need to make sure that we manage it correctly over the next three to four days to make sure that I’m fully healthy next week.”
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