Serena Williams won’t go to Perth to defend her Hopman Cup title, having withdrawn from the 2009 event with hamstring injury.

According to Hopman Cup organizers, the American injured her hamstring during the Sony Ericsson Championships in Doha, which forced her to leave the season-ending tournament during the round-robin phase.

Serena Williams will be replaced at the January 3-9 tournament by American countrywoman Meghann Shaughnessy, who is expected to partner with James Blake. (source: On the Baseline, photo: Ralf Reinecke)

World number three Jelena Jankovic injured her right thigh in singles against France’s Tatiana Golovin in the Hopman Cup, but the Serb is willing to give everything for the title!

Injured Jankovic played mixed doubles against France with compatriot Novak Djokovic, and the two won the match giving Serbia a 2-1 win against France. Then they played Argentina. Jankovic had to retire in the second set against Gisela Dulko, but then, together with Djokovic she struggled but defeated the team of Gisela Dulko and Juan Ignacio Chela to take Serbia to the Friday’s final against the United States represented by Serena Williams and Mardy Fish. Read more »

Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic played only one whole game in the singles match against France’s Tatiana Golovin in the Hopman Cup in Perth, Australia, before retiring with extremely painful right thigh injury. Jelena blames the lack of training because of her nose surgery for the condition she’s now in. Read more »