Serena Williams: A new season but the same old injury

Associated Press

BRISBANE, Australia - Serena Williams is still recovering from the knee injury that forced her to pull out of the WTA Tour's season-ending championships in Madrid in November and will miss the opening match of the Hopman Cup in Perth.

Last year's Australian Open winner had been scheduled to take on India's Sania Mirza (SAHN'-yuh MEER'-zah) on Saturday in the first match of the team event, but will be replaced by Meghan Shaughnessy.

Tournament officials say Williams will not arrive in the Western Australia state capital until the weekend, and plans to play for the Americans in Monday's match against the Czech Republic.

After an injury-filled 2006 campaign, Williams posted a surprising win at the 2007 Australian Open. She entered the tournament unseeded and ranked 81st in the world. She beating six seeded players en route to the title and by the end of the season had worked her way up to Number-7.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.