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Venus Williams? Australian Open Chances Look Shaky

The chances of tennis star, Venus Williams to make it to the Australian Opens next month are not quite known. Williams is battling to recover from a wrist injury and only time will tell whether she will be strong enough to take part in the first Grand Slam event of 2007 in January. Williams has already played very few games this year due to her injuries.

Venus Williams also withdrew from tournaments in Moscow and Stuttgart and lately also pulled out of the Hopman?s Cup that begins in Perth at the end of December. Williams? withdrawal from the latter has upset the mixed doubles event of the tournament that is already suffering from other setbacks. The German team was called in to replace Korea but had to retire after the player, Nicolas Kiefer suffered a wrist injury as well.

The director of the Hopman Cup, Paul McNamee said that Williams was seeking medical advice regarding her injury and that she was still having difficulty with her backhand. Williams, 26, who was once ranked number one in the world, is a five-time Grand Slam champion. It remains to be seen whether her present wrist injury will set her back another year in tennis playing or whether she will manage to pull through to climb back to her former glory.