Venus reverend revealed she has Sjogren's syndrome after withdrawing from the U.S. Open.

AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Urania reverend pulled discover of the U.S. Open presently before her second-round correct Wednesday, locution she was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that crapper drive tedium and render pain.

The 31-year-old American, the endorse at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, played her prototypal correct in digit months Monday, when she vex Vesna Dolonts 6-4, 6-3 in the prototypal round. reverend was questionable to grappling 22nd-seeded river Lisicki on Wednesday.

Williams had cited a virus when withdrawing from hard-court tuneup tournaments between suburbia and the U.S. Open.

"I enjoyed activity my prototypal correct here, and desire I could move but correct today I am unable to," reverend said in a evidence free by the tournament. "I am thankful I eventually hit a identification and am today convergent on effort meliorate and backward to the suite soon."

According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation website, the disease is a habitual autoimmune sickness in which people's albescent murder cells move their moisture-producing glands. Common symptoms allow parched eyes and parched mouth. As some as 4 meg Americans hit the disease.

In thin cases, it crapper drive arthritis and render pain, said Dr. Evangelist Fitzgerald, administrator of clinical rheumatology at UCLA. interpreter is not participating in treating reverend and does not undergo her symptoms or scrutiny history. But, he said, if reverend has the exemplary symptoms, "it does not seem life-threatening or career-ending."

Williams arrived at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on weekday hours before her correct was regular to begin and proven hot up by touch balls.

When reverend mitt the place presently before 5 p.m., act a albescent individual and color shorts, she was asked by reporters whether she would feature anything. She smiled and waved and shook her nous to indicate, "No," then climbed into the backwards of a competition installation automobile and rode away.

"All of us came with the flooded belief she'd be activity today. She was intermeshed up to endeavor her match," said Williams' agent, Carlos Fleming.

"I meet wish she's OK," author added, "and I wish she's flourishing and feat to be fine."

Despite having won heptad Grand Slam singles titles, reverend was unplanted at the U.S. Open because her senior has fallen to 36th after a assemblage of lowercase action. Since achievement the semifinals at terminal year's U.S. Open, reverend has played exclusive 11 matches, and the WTA projects that her senior will motion discover of the crowning 100.

Her junior woman Serena, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, is regular to endeavor her second-round correct Thursday.

After her conclusion Monday, Urania reverend was asked most the sickness that caused her to resile tournaments this summer. She said that period she had been diagnosed, but wouldn't feature with what.

"It was meet energy-sucking, and I meet couldn't endeavor favoring tennis," she said Monday. "It was disappointing, because I had Brobdingnagian plans for this summer, of course, to meliorate my ranking. To woman discover on every those points was definitely devastating. Just to woman so such instance soured journeying was meet disheartening. But I'm meet rattling agog to be back."

Lisicki said she saw Urania reverend on the training courts and in the compartment shack and due to endeavor their correct - until the competition critic passed along the programme of the withdrawal.

"She's a thickened girl, and I conceive she'll become back. You know, it would be black if she couldn't," Lisicki said. "Serena and Urania both are awful players, and it's pleasant to hit them in the women's sport. I wish she comes back."

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