The 13-time single Grand Slam champion Serena Williams and former World No. 1 Maria Sharapova will begin their next season at 2012 Brisbane International championship in January.
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The World No. 12th ranked Serena Williams, who has been missed out most of the season in 2011 with foot injury and illness, as she will return back to action soon for the training. Serena has committed to play in the 2012 Brisbane International being played here at the Queensland Tennis Centre on outdoor hard courts in Tennyson scheduled to begin on January 2nd to 9th. Serena said it will be best preparation on outdoor hard courts, before heading into the 2012 Australian Open.
The three-time major title holder Maria Sharapova will also begin her 2012 campaign at Brisbane International along with 2011 US open champion Samantha Stosur and German star Andrea Petkovic. Sharapova, who has showed outstanding performance this season winning two WTA titles at Rome Masters, Cincinnati Masters and lost Wimbledon final to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic in two sets with a 3-6 and 4-6.
The Russian beauty has been recovering from the ankle injury, sustained at the Istanbul WTA Championship last month. Sharapova, who has lost both the round robin matches at WTA Championship and ends the season with ankle injury.
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