Dominika Cibulkova has withdrawn from this week’s Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, citing the wrist injury that kept her out of Fed Cup over the weekend.
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No.5-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza slides into Cibulkova’s spot in the draw, which means the Spaniard not only picks up a first-round bye—she also may face Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals if the Russian can win two rounds.
Sharapova begins her comeback from a year-long drug ban against Italy’s Roberta Vinci on Wednesday. If she wins the Russian will face either Agnieszka Radwanska or Ekaterina Makarova in the second round.
Today Vinci voiced her opinion that Sharapova should not have received a Wild Card into Stuttgart. “I think my personal opinion is that I don’t agree about the wild card here and about the wild card in Rome and the other tournaments,” Vinci said, according to the London Times. “She made her mistakes for sure, but she paid [for it] and I think she can return to play, but without any wild cards.”
Radwanska voiced a similar opinion over the weekend in Stuttgart.
"I'm not hiding my opinion. I think the same as Andy Murray," said Radwanska. "This kind of entry into the tournament should be available only for players who were dropped in the ranking due to injury, illness or other random accident. Not for those suspended for doping,” she said. “Maria should rebuild her career in a different way, beginning with smaller events."