Sharapova withdraws from Stanford as injury woes continue

Maria Sharapova's comeback from a 15-month drug suspension hasn't exactly gone to plan.

Sharapova was forced to skip the entire grass season after suffering a thigh injury in Rome, and she withdrew from the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford - her first hard-court tournament of the year - just before her second-round match on Wednesday, citing a left arm injury.

She'd beaten American Jennifer Brady in three sets in the first round.

Sharapova's return got off to a strong start in Stuttgart, where she made the semifinals back in April, but she's played just four completed matches since then.

The 30-year-old has already received wild-card entries into the Premier 5 events in Toronto and Cincinnati later this month, but it's unclear whether she'll be able to use them given her latest setback. If she can't, that could also determine the extent of her participation at the US Open.

Sharapova could conceivably build up enough ranking points in Toronto and Cincinnati to qualify for the main draw in Flushing Meadows, but she'll otherwise need to get a wild card or make it through the qualifying tournament. The US Open will announce its main-draw wild cards on Aug. 15.