Lucie Safarova scraps Aussie career finale

Lucie Safarova had planned to officially end her career at the Australian Open later this month.

Unfortunately, she won’t get the opportunity to say a proper goodbye to both tennis and her many friends in the game.

Tendonitis in her wrist has forced the veteran Czech to scrap those plans.

The 31-year-old (she turns 32 Feb. 4) won the Australian Open women’s doubles title in both 2015 and 2017 with good friend Bethanie Mattek-Sands.

With Mattek-Sands playing with new partner Demi Schuurs of the Netherlands, Safarova had entered with countrywoman Barbora Strycova.

Safarova and Strycova reached the quarterfinals a year ago

A proper goodbye – somewhere

Safarova wrote on Instagram that she plans to say farewell on court, somewhere, sometime soon. To be determined.

She hadn’t played a Tour event since last September in Quebec City. So this was a one-shot deal to close out her impressive career.

The Czech lefty also had entered the singles, and was the third alternate for the main draw with her current singles ranking of No. 105.

There hasn’t been a single official withdrawal yet, with the qualifying set to begin on Tuesday. But you’d have to think she’d have had a good shot at getting in.

Safarova had played some club matches in the Czech Republic during the offseason.

No word yet on whom Strycova might enlist as a replacement for the doubles. The official entries closed Friday at noon, Melbourne time.

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Stephanie Myles

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