Tennis: Serena Williams pull out of Open with injuries

US Open runner-up Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Australian Open with injuries.

Williams decided to pull out of the year's first Grand Slam event after turning her ankle on Friday night while chasing a drop shot in a tournament in Sydney, tournament organisers said.

The No 5 seed had said earlier the injury wouldn't stop her.

On top of that, rain halted play after only a few first-round matches had been completed on the first day of the tournament. No 15 seed Amanda Coetzer was among the early winners, beating Dutch player Miriam Oremans 6-1, 6-1.

The roofs on the two main show courts were closed to allow resumption of matches there.

Williams, the 1999 US Open champion and runner-up to older sister Venus last year, had been scheduled to play on Monday afternoon against Conchita Martinez, who won Wimbledon in 1994 and was the runner-up at the 1998 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open.