Serena Williams woke up with a swollen right big toe Wednesday, causing her to withdraw from the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio -- the latest in her long streak of health setbacks.
Williams had won two tournaments in a row, and on Tuesday she played her seventh match in eight days. She decided to withdraw and rest the foot because the U.S. Open is less than two weeks away. "I don't think this is a good time for me to take a big chance," she said.
The tournament also lost top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki on Wednesday. Wozniacki dropped her opening match for the second consecutive week, falling to American Christina McHale 6-4, 7-5 in the second round.
Hewitt invited to U.S. Open
• Former champ Lleyton Hewitt was among seven players awarded wild cards into the men's draw of the U.S. Open. Hewitt won the 2001 U.S. Open and 2002 Wimbledon titles but is ranked 165th after a series of injuries. Also invited was American Donald Young, who had to apologize to the USTA in April after he posted an obscenity-laced message on Twitter criticizing the organization for not automatically giving him its wild card into the French Open.
NHL
Bettman ponders drug programNHL Commissioner Gary Bettman expects the league to review its substance abuse and behavioral health program after the deaths of two players over the summer.
The players who died, Winnipeg Jets forward Rick Rypien and former Wild enforcer Derek Boogaard, both spent time in the program.
"My guess is we'll talk at the appropriate time with the players' association, making sure that we're comfortable with all of the mechanisms and programs we have in place, which are extensive," Bettman said. "I don't think any sports league does more than we do, but maybe there's more that we need to focus on. I know it's always hard for people to accept, but sports is a microcosm of society in general. And life isn't always easy."
