Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from the WTA Championships after aggravating an injury to her left ankle

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Maria Sharapova decided pull out of the WTA Championships on Wednesday due to a left ankle sprain that had bothered her in her matchup against Na Li. The Russian had been determined to play her in Istanbul, but has decided not to risk making the injury any worse than it already is.

"I tried to push it as much as I could, I think it was just too soon," explained Sharapova. "I didn't really have any expectations coming here because I never really had that type of injury before. It didn't recover as well as I had hoped after the first round. The swelling got worse and it's not something I really want to risk."

Sharapova’s season is now over, and she’s content with what she achieved this year. "It's disappointing to end it this way, but I have no regrets. I started the year barely in the Top 20, and I don't know what I'll be at the end of the year, but my game has stepped up. Going into next year there's so many things I can improve to make me even better. It's something I look forward to when I start training again."

You can watch and bet on the action from the WTA Championships at bet365