HONG KONG -- Serena Williams pulled out of the Champions Challenge exhibition tournament in Hong Kong on Friday with a knee injury, but maintains she will still play in the upcoming Australian Open.
"Serena has developed inflammation and swelling of her left knee joint over the past two days," tournament physical therapist Donna Sutton said in a statement. "After assessment and treatment, we have advised her to rest and continue treatment to prevent further irritation."
Asked before an autograph session if the injury would affect her participation in the Australian Open, which starts Jan. 16, Williams said simply, "no."
However, she described her swelling as something that "they (physical therapists) can't get out, that we've been trying to get out for the past couple of days."
Williams, ranked 11 in the world, lost in straight sets to Russian Elena Dementieva in the exhibition tournament Wednesday, while her sister Venus managed a tenacious win over Indian rising star Sania Mirza.
Venus called for a physical trainer during her match against Mirza, and later described discomfort in either her pelvis or back. She went ahead with her Friday match against Lindsay Davenport.
Venus, now world No. 10, said Thursday she believed her injury, still undiagnosed, was fixable.
The Williams sisters saw their rankings drop as they were sidelined with knee injuries late last year.
Serena, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, won the Australian last year and Venus, a five-time Grand Slam singles winner, took Wimbledon, but they faded later in the year, with neither sister qualifying for the year-ending WTA Championships. Serena played only 28 matches in 2005.
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