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Robson's wrist could rule her out of Wimbledon

ESPN staff
April 16, 2014
Laura Robson was last seen on court at the Australian Open, where she lost to Kirsten Flipkens © Getty Images
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Laura Robson's 2014 season may hinge on an injection to her injured left wrist as she faces a race against time to be fit for the French Open and Wimbledon.

Robson has played just two matches this year. The 20-year-old retired after suffering a recurrence of a long-standing wrist injury in Hobart against Yanina Wickmayer in the build-up to the Australian Open, where she was beaten in the first round.

After officially withdrawing from next week's La Princesse Lalla Meryem tournament in Marrakesh and the Mutua Madrid Open, which starts on May 3, Robson is not scheduled to return to competitive action until the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, little more than a week before the French Open starts on May 25.

According to The Times, Robson may require an injection in her wrist which, if successful, could see her sidelined for six weeks - too late for the French Open but ready to return prior to Wimbledon.

If an injection does not alleviate the pain in her wrist, surgery may be the answer - a prospect that would rule Robson out of the entire summer and potentially the rest of the 2014 season.

For Robson, the timing of the injury lay-off is particularly cruel given her progress over the past two years. The current world No. 64 reached as high as 27 in 2013 following her run to the last 16 at Wimbledon, and ended the year inside the top 50.

"It was last year, over the clay and the grass, where I was healthy and playing well," Robson told The Times. "I'd love to get back to that, and that's what I'm working towards."

Robson is currently being trained by Mauricio Hadad and fitness coach Mark Wellington, who have both worked with Maria Sharapova in the past.

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