Former No. 1 Maria Sharapova, still recovering from a bone bruise in her right elbow, will pull out of next week's Family Circle Cup in Charleston, a source told TENNIS.com. The injury first flared up three weeks ago in Indian Wells.
Sharapova isn't planning on returning to the Tour until either the Rome or Madrid tournaments in May, depending how quickly she recovers. The world No. 14 has had a hard time playing consistently since arthroscopic shoulder surgery in October 2008. This year, she lost in the first round of the Australian Open, won Memphis and then fell to Zheng Jie in three sets at Indian Wells, after which she withdrew from Miami.—M.C.