Gauff and McNally to play Luxembourg as Sharapova and Kerber withdraw

Maria Sharapova will not play the WTA event in Luxembourg next week, having already withdrawn from this week's event at Linz with an ongoing shoulder injury.

That wraps up a stop-and-start season for the Russian, who had a small procedure on her shoulder following the Australian Open and re-injured it during the North American hard-court season. The former world No. 1 has not played since the US Open.

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Three-time major champion Angelique Kerber has also withdrawn from Luxembourg with a leg injury, but could still qualify for a spot at the WTA Elite Trophy in Zhuhai, which consists of a 12-player field ranked below the field for the WTA Finals.

As a result of Sharapova and Kerber pulling out, American teenagers Cori "Coco" Gauff and Caty McNally moved into the main draw. Each made an impact at the US Open, with the 15-year-old Gauff facing Naomi Osaka in the third round and 17-year-old McNally winning the opening set of her second-round encounter against Serena Williams. The pair also reached the third round of the doubles, after capturing the Citi Open title in Washington, D.C. a month earlier.

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Gauff, who also got into Linz this week through Maria Sakkari's withdrawal, has reached the quarterfinals there, further building on the breakthrough she began by reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon. She is set to break into the Top 100 for the first time next week as a result of her latest performance.

"Right now, it's all about matches for me, and getting as more matches under my belt, as much as possible. I feel fresh and eager," she told pressat Linz.

The Delray Beach, FL resident will face world No. 8 Kiki Bertens, a wild card entrant, for a place in the semifinals on Friday.