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Linz, Austria (dpa) - French tennis star Mary Pierce has ruptured the cruciate ligament in her left knee and will have to undergo an operation, the Austria Press Agency APA reported on Friday.
The grave injury will likely sideline her for several months and could even threaten her career.
Pierce, 31, sustained the injury late Thursday during her round of 16 match with Russian Vera Zvonareva at the Generali Open tournament in Linz, with Pierce leading 6-4, 6-6 at the time after missing three match points shortly before the incident.
She was stretchered off court and taken to a local hospital after falling on court.
Examinations Friday revealed the exact nature of the injury and doctors said she requires an operation. Pierce left the AKH clinic later in the day, reportedly saying she wants surgery to take place in France.
Pierce has two Grand Slam titles from the 1995 Australian Open and 2000 French Open. She is currently ranked 29th in the world.
Copyright 2006 dpa Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH
