Sharapova Withdraws from Miami Masters Again

via Wikimedia Commons

Maria Sharapova occasionally pops up on my TV screen to sell me digital cameras in ads where she's constantly upstaged by a small dog who thinks in the most stereotypical French accent ever. But the 21-year-old former number one hasn't popped up on my TV screen in any important tennis matches since the 2008 Australian Open. She's been plagued by injuries, a series of events that began when she withdrew from Miami last year. Currently, she's ranked a humbling number 30.

So far this year, she has played only doubles at Indian Wells, and was eliminated in the first round. It is kind of a sad thing to watch, and her comeback won't be staged in Miami, as previously hoped. She has withdrawn, citing continued problems with her shoulder.

But ladies' tennis fans won't be too sad -- the Williams sisters are still a go!