Tennis player Maria Sharapova withdraws from Stanford WTA tournament

Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova withdrew from the second round match of the WTA Stanford tournament in California this Wednesday due to an injury in her left arm, tournament officials said.

"We are sad to announce that Maria (@mariasharapova) has withdrawn after a medical check-up on her left arm," a post on the tournament's Twitter account said.

Sharapova played her first match in the United States in over two years on Monday, defeating American player Jennifer Brady 6-1, 4-6, 6-0 in the first round of Stanford.

The Russian, former world number one and winner of five Grand Slam tournaments, had not played in the United States since March 2015, and served a 15-month suspension for doping.

"I feel like I just want to hug everyone and say thank you," Sharapova told the fans in a post-match interview on Monday.

"It's my first match in the United States in a long time, it's the closest thing to my home," she emphasized.

Ukrainian player Lesia Tsurenko, the seventh seed, advanced to the third round due to Sharapova's retirement.

This latest injury raises doubts about whether Sharapova will be fit in time for the US Open, which starts on August 28, as well as for another key event in Cincinnati in two weeks, tournaments for which she received a special invitation.

Sharapova, 30, returned to competition in April, but her comeback was interrupted by a hip injury that forced her to withdraw from Wimbledon.

Sharapova's ranking has dropped to 171st in the world.

"I feel like I'm playing catch-up with everyone who has had a head start," Sharapova said after her match on Monday. "All that matters is that I keep playing," she concluded.