Serena Williams withdrew from the Western & Southern Open with a sore toe on Wednesday and described it as "a blessing in disguise" on the eve of the US Open.
She showed no sign of any toe problem in beating Lucie Hradecka 6-3, 7-6 in the first round on Tuesday. But she did admit to being tired towards the end and was definitely restricted in some of her movement.
Serena has bigger challenges ahead, not the least being returning to Flushing Meadows later this month for
the first time since her semi-final against Kim Clijsters two years ago when she abused a line judge for calling a foot fault against her on what turned out to be the final point of the match as it led to a decisive penalty point against her.
Asked if this injury was a complication of the cut to her foot she suffered after the 2010 Wimbledon tournament, an injury that kept her out for more than a year, she said: "It is but not nearly as extreme. It's just a bit of an aggravation because I think I've been pounding it a lot and playing a lot.
"I felt it a little bit [against Hradecka] and I thought – because I felt it before – OK, this is normal. But I don't think this is a good time for me to take a big chance. I just don't think that would be smart.
"I woke up this morning not feeling excellent and then went to the gym to see how it felt before I hit practice. That definitely didn't sit well. There is a little swelling, so I thought it would be a wise decision. I talked to my dad and I called Venus. She advised that I do what's best for me, which would be to take care of my body.
Serena Williams in action Tuesday in Cincinnati