World No 1 Serena Williams has pulled out of next month’s German Open to rest and prepare for the rest of the European season, the WTA Tour said on Tuesday. But her sister Venus Williams confirmed she would be taking part in next month’s event. “Well, at least her sister Venus will be coming,” a spokeswoman for the German Open said. She said tournament director Eberhard Wensky learned of Serena’s withdrawal on Tuesday evening but heard of the confirmation of world number three Venus at the same time.“We naturally would have loved to have had Serena, but it can’t be,” the spokeswoman said. Her decision to skip the $1.26 million Berlin tournament, which begins on May 5, means the 21-year-old’s next scheduled event is the $1.3 million Telecom Italia Masters, beginning on May 12, in Rome, Italy. “After playing so many matches at the beginning of 2003, I have decided to take an additional week off to prepare for the European season,” said Williams, who reached the final in Berlin last year where she lost in three sets to Belgium’s Justine Henin-Hardenne. “My focus right now is to prepare myself both mentally and physically for the upcoming major events in May and June. “I regret that I will not be returning to the German Open in2003 where I have had so much success, but I do look forward to returning to Rome.”Williams lost to Henin-Hardenne in the final of Charleston’s Family Circle Cup last weekend — the first defeat of the year for the American. The world No 1, who completed her ‘Serena Slam’ in January when she won the Australian Open to hold all four Grand Slams at the same time, surrendered a 21-match winning streak with Sunday’s defeat at the $1.3 million tournament in South Carolina.Her previous loss had been at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships last November — to Henin-Hardenne’s compatriot Kim Clijsters. Earlier this week Berlin organisers awarded Anna Kournikova a wildard for the claycourt event. Kournikova, who has dropped out of the top 60 following a series of poor results, would not have qualified for the main draw. (Reuters)
