Baseline Judges Can Breathe Easy

ReeRee has announced that she has had to withdraw from the US Open withe the following press release.

Serena Williams withdraws from 2010 US Open

Friday, August 20, 2010

Top-ranked Serena Williams has officially withdrawn from the 2010 US Open as she continues to recover from a cut to her right foot.
Williams cut her foot on a piece of broken glass in July, which required surgery, and has not competed on the WTA Tour since winning her 13th career Grand Slam tournament title at Wimbledon. She is a three-time US Open champion.
"It is with much frustration and deep sadness that I am having to pull out of the US Open," Williams said in a statement released by her publicist. "My doctors have advised against my playing so that my foot can heal."
She called missing the tournament "one of the most devastating moments of my career."
US Open Tournament Director Jim Curley released the following statement regarding Williams' withdrawal:
"We regret that Serena Williams is unable to play the US Open and wish her a speedy recovery. She will be missed, but the tournament is about the competition and the players on the court. This year's US Open will be a memorable event, as it has been every year."

When ReeRee announced her injury just after Wimbledon, you could count me in as one of the skeptics noticing that her withdrawal from the tour would coincide with the summer hard court season and that she would just happen to get back in time for the US Open. It's difficult to give her the benefit of the doubt that her foot injury was really that bad when she tweeted pictures like this:



Well, hopefully, ReeRee will recover in time to help the US win its Fed Cup tie against Italy.

One thing, for sure, baseline judges won't need to be afraid of calling foot faults in New York.

Less material for ARod to parody (see 1:30).