The WTA Tour says French Open finalist Lucie Safarova has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of the lingering effects of a bacterial infection she picked up last year.
Safarova, 28, also tweeted: "As an athlete I'm used to fight on court to win.
Today it's off court to get my health back..." Safarova, the No. 9-ranked women's player, had her best Australian Open singles performance in 2007, when she made the quarterfinals.
Safarova lost in the first round at Melbourne Park last year but followed with a run to the final at the subsequent major in Paris, her best performance ever at a Grand Slam tournament.