The Tier 1 tournament in Zurich is suffering from tired and injured players at the moment. Not only No.1 Lindsay Davenport and No.2 Amelie Mauresmo but also ex No.1 Serena Williams pulled out of the Swisscom Challenge. Davenport didn’t show up due to a cold she is having, she did gave notice about her withdrawal as late as possible. Her first match would have been on Thursday, leaving four days to recover but she choose not to come to Switzerland.

Serena Williams was not even in Europe when her manager notified the tournament organization about her withdrawal on Saturday evening 8.43 hr. The two times Wimbledon winner did not surprise tournament director Beat Ritschard with her withdrawal due to earlier experiences with Miss Williams. Because of her late cancellation Serena Williams will be fined by the WTA for a several thousand dollars. 

Amelie Mauresmo had the intension of playing the Swisscom Challenge but after her injury in Filderstadt, retiring from the final match against Davenport, her doctors in Paris told her it would be unwise to play in Zurich. “Even playing on Thursday would be too early”, she said.

After her return from Filderstadt she was nursed in Paris and also practiced a bit. But after looking at the scans they had to conclude that playing competitive would be too early. Mauresmo said she is very unhappy about not being able to regain her No.1 position on the ranking.

“It was a very frustrating decision not to play”, she said “it is a big tournament and I want to play, I just don’t have any luck in this hall, maybe next year.” The Swisscom Challenge will move from the ice rink at the Schluefweg to a different location next year.

It's not very often that players return to a tournament to tell the organization and the press what injury is causing the withdrawal. “I was in the neighbourhood, I had other obligations so there was no problem coming back here”, Mauresmo said about her sympathetic gesture towards the organization. “And I am not going to the players party tonight, I only have this to wear. I didn’t bring my dress”.