World Number One Serena Williams has decided to pull out of the Family Circle Cup, a tournament that is to be played April 12^th to the 18^th for a purse of $700,000 in Charleston, South Carolina in the United States as part of the Women's Tennis Assocation Tour. Another player who has withdrawn is Maria Sharapova who pulled out of the tournament on Thursday and those two join Sabine Lisicki who is also not attending the tournament. That's three out of the World's Top 30, which of course includes the World Number 1, out of this event.

Williams is out with a knee injury which has give her trouble since she won the Australian Open. She said through the tournaments Press Office that her knee has not yet fully healed but she is looking forward to returning when the WTA Tour goes to Europe. Lisicki has an injury to her left anikle that is causing her to withdraw, while Maria Sharapova is still recovering from an elbow injury. These three players may all return to tennis when the WTA goes to Europe later this month, because we move ever closer to the French Open.

Five of the worlds top ten were expected to attend the Family Circle Cup, which is an International Level tournament which is played on clay courts with a prize purse of $700,000. Those were Williams, Caroline Wozniaki, Victoria Azarenka, Jelena Jankovic and Samantha Stosur. This tournament is from Monday April 12^th to Sunday April 18^th.