22 July,2011 08:37 AM IST | | AFP
Serena Williams has elected to use an injury-protected ranking to gain entry to the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the season, the US Tennis Association said on Wednesday.
The USTA announced a provisional women's field for the tournament, which starts on August 29 in New York.
Only the top 105-ranked players in the world are granted direct entry into the 128-woman field. However Williams, whose ranking has plummeted to 172nd after a series of health issues, has the option of using the system in which a player who has been sidelined for six months or more by injury can use a special injury-protected ranking to enter up to eight tournaments, including one Grand Slam.
