Injury could drive Venus out of Paris

Venus Williams last night admitted she was "nervous" about the forthcoming French Open after being forced to withdraw from the Italian Open here with a wrist injury.

Williams hurt her right wrist when she picked up her luggage two days ago; beyond that she was vague about the injury or why she decided only at the 11th hour to pull out of her second-round match against Anna Kournikova.

"Hopefully it won't be very serious; hopefully I'll be able to practise soon," she said. "I'm just going to take some time off and finally see something in Rome."

Any injury two weeks before a grand slam could be fatal to her chances of participating, let alone winning at Roland Garros, so few could blame Williams for erring on the side of caution. "It somewhat makes me nervous about the French, that I won't be able to play this week and that I'll have two weeks that I can't play a tournament," she said.

Williams's withdrawal leaves her sister Serena and Jennifer Capriati as the star turns here, although Kournikova could prove likewise after defeating Williams's replacement, Lilia Osterleh, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 last night.

Capriati has learned good things come to those who wait and yesterday the Australian Open champion proved it once more, winning her first match here in nine years with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maja Matevzic.

Beating an obscure Slovene qualifier in front of a crowd of about 400 may not be much to write home about. But given that the last time Capriati walked off court at the Foro Italico with a smile on her face was 1993, she had reason to be delighted. "Actually that's probably why I played so well, because I did not expect, like, to win or anything," said the beaming 26-year-old.

Never one for in-depth analysis, the American had little explanation for her dismal record but for whatever reason she has never enjoyed it here, despite her Italian ancestry and the quicker clay courts which ought to make her pile-driven shots even more potent. Matevzic could attest to that: she spent yesterday's match watching them whizz past her ears.

Tim Henman remains unsure whether Greg Rusedski will be his team-mate and doubles partner when Great Britain make their debut in next week's World Team Championships in Düsseldorf.

The British No2 returned to London for treatment yesterday after pulling out of the Masters Series in Hamburg with a neck problem. Henman, meanwhile, will play Adrian Voinea for a last-16 place.

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