Injury forces Maria Sharapova to give tennis the elbow for a while

Maria Sharapova could be out of action for six weeks due to an elbow injury. The Russian has already pulled out of the Sony Ericsson Open, which starts in Miami on 23 March – a particular blow as she is a brand ambassador for the event's sponsor. Sharapova, who will be 23 next month, complained of an elbow problem following her defeat to Zheng Jie of China in the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Sunday. Now an MRI scan has "revealed a bone bruise in her right elbow", according to a statement on Sharapova's website. Sharapova, a former world No1, has recently signed a $70m (£62m) extension to her deal with Nike. If she is out for around six weeks, then she could return in Rome on 3 May or in Madrid on 10 May. The French Open, the next grand slam event, starts on 23 May.