Australia’s former world number 8 Alicia Molik is to quit tennis. Sources close to Molik said the 24-year-old, who has been hampered by inner-ear virus vestibular neuronitis, was to retire from the sport within the next few days, Fox Sports news reported. The illness, which affects vision and balance and also drains energy, has plagued Molik on this year’s women’s tour. It limited Molik to one match in five months before the Olympic bronze medallist made her comeback to the tour at New Haven at the end of August. But since her return she has won just one of her seven matches, with her world ranking falling to 13th. “She’s still struggling from the vestibular neuronitis. It’s not something that’s recurred over the last 24 hours,” her manager Lisa Chaffey told Australian Associated Press earlier this week. “She had definitely improved leaps and bounds before she played New Haven, but she’s still only 55 to 60 percent out there. “It’s something she’s working through and looking after health is the most important thing. “But there’s no date for a full recovery and, at this stage, she’s not sure she’ll make a full recovery.” Molik made a tearful first-round exit in defence of her Zurich Open title earlier this week. afp Only 24, what a shame.
