JOHANNA Konta is a significant doubt for Wimbledon having withdrawn from the semi-finals of the Aegon International with a thoracic spine injury.
The 25-year-old was in tears after a heavy fall in which she hit her head and required a near 10-minute stoppage before resuming Thursday’s quarter-final victory over world No 1 Angelique Kerber.
She later insisted she had been given the all-clear to continue competing in Eastbourne, against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, but yesterday morning pulled out because of the spine injury that requires rest.
Konta, the first British woman ranked in the world’s top 10 at Wimbledon since 1984, has been drawn to face Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-Wei in the first round at SW19 on Monday but said: “For the next 24 hours I am just looking to be resting at home.
“No books, no screens. Just to try to sleep, I didn’t really sleep well last night, so I need to rest.
“I’m not thinking about (Wimbledon) right now, I just want to rest well and to make sure that I get my health back to the best place possible. I didn’t sleep too well but that’s normal after a fall.
“We left it as late as possible to see how things developed this morning, but just felt it wasn’t quite right.
“I made the decision (to withdraw) based on the fact I’m still quite sore through my thoracic spine and I’m just basically looking to make sure I really can recover in the best way possible.
“Next week is Wimbledon but I made this decision based on looking after my health, regardless of what tournament is coming up.
“It’s the upper back. It’s through the upper spine basically. I can move my neck.
“We’re not 100 per cent certain yet (about the recovery time required). Things will become clearer in the next 24 hours of how we manage things.”
Konta had also impressed on Thursday in defeating Kerber on the same afternoon as reigning French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Hsieh eliminated her in the first round at Roland Garros, and she said: “I’m just resting for the next 24 hours. That’s all it is.
“Whatever happens in the following 24 hours and the following 24 hours after that, I’ll see once this 24 hours is up.
“Right now my priority is to look after myself. I’m looking to make sure I’m in a good place physically and health-wise to be able to compete next week, but most importantly to be in a good place health-wise.
“It’s definitely not an ideal situation. Again the most important thing is my health, regardless of the tournament next week, regardless of this week. Our seasons are very long. I’d like to think I have many years left in my career.”
Meanwhile, Venus Williams is being investigated over a fatal car crash in the United States as she prepares to compete at Wimbledon.
Police say the five-time SW19 champion, 37, is to blame for the crash that led to the death of 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who was a passenger in his wife’s car, according to reports.
Williams’ lawyer said she expressed her “deepest condolences” but that it was an “unfortunate accident”.
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