Maria Sharapova believes she will be fit to play in the Australian Open despite pulling out of a warm-up event due to injury.
The 24-year-old picked up an ankle injury back in September when she slipped on the baseline in a clash with Petra Kvitova at the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
The Russian star has not played competitively since, but was scheduled to make an appearance in the Brisbane International, which boasts a decent field as the players look to fine-tune their games ahead of the year's first Grand Slam.
But the talented right-hander will play no part in the event as she looks to make sure that she is fit enough to play in Melbourne later in January.
"Unfortunately my ankle is not 100% and I won't be able to make it," she said. "I do expect to be ready for the year's first Grand Slam and I am really looking forward to competing on court."
Sharapova won the Aussie Open back in 2008 and has also claimed the Wimbledon title in 2004 and the US Open in 2006, but she has battled injury and a dip in form in recent years.
There were signs that she might be on the verge of winning another Slam when she reached this year's final at Wimbledon, before Kvitova put paid to those thoughts with a stunning display to lift the trophy.