Injured Sharapova pulls out of Kremlin Cup

MOSCOW, Oct 13 (Reuters) Second seed Maria Sharapova was forced to pull out of the Kremlin Cup quarter-finals today with a right foot strain.

''I will not be able to step out on the court today. If I'm not able to give 100 per cent, I'd rather not play at all,'' she was quoted as saying on the tournament's Web site.

Sharapova, who was due to play fellow Russian Anna Chakvetadze for a place in the semi-finals, said she felt pain in her right foot after her second round victory over qualifier Ekaterina Bychkova.

The 19-year-old Sharapova was playing in her first tournament since winning the U.S. Open in September.

REUTERS AY BS1753