Slovakian tennis player Dominika Cibulkova is set to withdraw from the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, due to begin on the 6th of August. The 26-year-old most recently played at the Montreal Masters - or the Rogers Cup in Canada last month, losing in the second round to local hope Eugenie Bouchard, who continues to be the only Canadian woman to have made a Grand Slam final. Cibulkova earlier demolished Bouchard in straight sets at Wimbledon.
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Slovak media have reported that Cibulkova has been found to have inflammation in her left leg, which was revealed via MRIs the player ran late last week. She has been advised '7-10 days rest' by her doctors, ruling her out of the Games this year.
The World No. 11 had her best Grand Slam results this year at Wimbledon, and in the form she had been playing in, was considered a hopeful for the title; she ousted third seed and possible title contender Agnieszka Radwanska in a shock tournament upset, before losing to the lower-ranked Elena Vesnina in straight sets.
She went into that tournament fresh off a grass court title win at Eastbourne, where she had also ousted Radwanska, who was then the tournament top seed. Cibulkova has faced - and beaten - a number of top seeds at tournaments across surfaces this year, and has had strong form so far this season, so sitting out the Olympics will be a definite setback for the Slovak.
Cibulkova is no stranger to the Olympics; she has participated in the Games in Beijing in 2008, where she finished in the third round, and was ousted in the first round at the 2012 London Olympic Games.
More to follow.
