Alexandra Stevenson, the first woman qualifier ever to reach the semi-finals of Wimbledon, will replace Monica Seles who has been forced to withdraw from the USA team in the Hyundai Hopman Cup.
USA is no longer the No 1 seeded team however, due to the lateness of the change, with players already in Perth, and in the interests of ticket holders, there will be no change to the draw or schedule.
Tournament Director, Paul McNamee, learnt over Christmas of Seles’s withdrawal. “I was advised by IMG, Monica’s management, that she had not recovered from a fracture in her foot sustained some months ago. It’s disappointing when these things happen, especially so close to the tournament. However I have to say that Stevenson is an exciting replacement and a real talent with a big future and it is a great chance to see another young star in Perth”.
It is now very unlikely that Monica will accept the wildcard inivation for Sydney. She is still keeping hope for the Australian Open.