Injury forces Williams and Sharapova out

The 34-year-old, however, says she will be ready in time to play in the next round of the mixed-teams competition in Perth against Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt and Jarmila Wolfe on 5 January. A little rest, a little treatment. “I just think a day off or two will make a world of difference”, she said, adding: “I only think positive and I know I’ll be okay”.

The match at the mixed-teams tournament was to launch Williams’s preparation for her title defence at the Australian Open in Melbourne later this month.

Other top-10 women on the injured list included defending champion Maria Sharapova and top-seeded Simona Halep at the Brisbane International, where they withdrew without playing because of injuries within an hour of each other. “But I had a really fun time”, Duval said.

After the 19th-ranked Elina Svitolina upset world number 11 Karolina Pliskova in straight sets in the women’s singles, Dolgopolov clinched the tie when he beat Vesely in similar fashion 7-5, 7-6 (7/3).

She retired from her comeback match at the Wuhan Open in China in September with a left forearm injury, returning only for the WTA Tour Finals in Singapore at the end of October.

“She ruined my dream [last year]”, Cibulkova said after her first-round win at the Brisbane International.

Elsewhere in Group A, Ukraine maintained their unbeaten record, narrowly beating the Czech Republic 2-1.

“It’s a bit unfortunate as you don’t get to play Serena very often and this tournament is made for it. I hope her knee gets better”.

After an injury-marred 2014 when she slipped to 32 in the world, Azarenka has struggled to regain the form that took her to two Australian Opens and the top ranking.

Murray had won all four of his previous meetings against the flamboyant Australian but Kyrgios produced a largely mature performance to triumph 6-4, 7-6 (7/5).

After winning the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon titles past year, Williams narrowly missed completing a season Grand Slam when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the semi-finals of the US Open.

Meanwhile, her elder sister, Venus Williams, was stunned at the ABS Classics by 18-year-old Russian teenager Daria Kasatkina in the first round of the ASB Classic.

“Of course we’re going to say hi and talk about her new earrings (before the match)”.