Snakebitten Bacsinszky struck by calf injury, clay season in doubt

RABAT, Morocco - Former World No.9 Timea Bacsinszky was already in the midst of an injury comeback - missing the last six months of 2017 for a right hand surgery - when the two-time Roland Garros semifinalist suffered another physical setback while preparing for her first match at the Grand Prix de SAR La Princesse Lalla Meryem.

A wilcard in Rabat, Bacsinszky was set to play American Christina McHale before sustaining a right calf injury in practice.

"I ran for a drop shot and at my first step, my right calf got torn," she explained on Twitter. "I felt a very sharp pain, and since then I'm unable to put weight on it and to walk normally."

Bacsinszky was a junior prodigy forced to missed several years on tour due to a foot injury, briefly retiring in 2014 before coming back and reaching new heights in her second career. She reached her first French Open semifinal that next year, pushing Serena Williams to within three games of defeat, and backed up the run in 2017, where she upset Venus Williams and pre-tournament favorite Kristina Mladenovic

The 28-year-old was on her way to defeating Agnieszka Radwanska at last year's Wimbledon Championships before incurring a thigh injury, and took the rest of the year off to deal with the aforementioned hand issue. As she recovered, she not only got engaged but also starred in a music video for the band BAUM.

Bacsinszky returned to tour at the St. Petersburg Ladies Trophy in February, where she partnered Vera Zvonareva to win the doubles title.