Ankle

Two days after becoming the oldest top-ranked women's tennis player, 31-year-old Serena Williams became the latest entrant to drop out of the Dubai Championships. Williams withdrew Wednesday 45 minutes before her scheduled match with 11th-ranked Marion Bartoli, citing a sore back and ankle she says she's had since the Australian Open. “I've just had some back problems the past couple weeks. It didn't get better,” Williams said. “I thought it would get better as the week went on, but it didn't.

While a sprained left ankle spoiled Vince Carter's return to New Jersey, it did nothing to slow down Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic. Carter scored 16 points before leaving the game against his former teammates in the second quarter, but Howard more than made up for his absence with 20 points, 22 rebounds and four blocks in a 95-85 victory Friday night. Carter, who said he was feeling better after the game and hoped to be back Sunday, spent the second half in the trainers' room and had his ankle wrapped.

TEMPE, Ariz. -- His left shoulder, which was so damaged and weak last season he hit .175 from the right side, felt strong, and his left knee, which "wasn't feeling real great a couple weeks ago," was beginning to come around. Gary Matthews Jr. was having a great spring, getting a single in his first at-bat Monday to raise his Cactus League average to .449 and stealing second, his fourth stolen base. Then, on a play so innocuous most in Tempe Diablo Stadium probably didn't see it, Matthews twisted his right ankle as he pulled up before third base on Garret Anderson's inning-ending strikeout, fell to the ground in pain and had to be helped off the field.

Clippers guard Jamal Crawford is not going to play tonight against the Denver Nuggets because of a sore left ankle. Crawford said he rolled his ankle in the second quarter of a game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at Staples Center. He got treatment throughout the day but shook his head no when asked if he could play against the Nuggets. Crawford averages 17.2 points a game, second best on the team. In his absence, Matt Barnes and Grant Hill will play some backup shooting guard for the Clippers.

Tony Parker, the San Antonio Spurs' aging but dominant point guard, will be out of the lineup about four weeks as his left ankle heals from a sprain. Parker rolled the ankle Friday night during the third quarter in a 130-102 rout of the Sacramento Kings. The Spurs, who have the best record in the NBA at 46-14, announced Saturday that an MRI exam showed that Parker had a Grade 2 sprain and that the French national star would miss "approximately four weeks. " Parker, a two-time NBA Finals most valuable player who is averaging 21 points and 7.6 assists, is among a few select challengers to Heat forward LeBron James in the MVP conversation this season.

Andrew Bynum's sprained left ankle was not considered serious enough to follow up with an MRI exam, and the Lakers are officially listing their center as day-to-day before Tuesday's game against New Jersey. Bynum was injured Sunday against Golden State after an awkward landing while trying to block the shot of Warriors power forward David Lee. X-rays were negative at the time. Bynum went to the team's training facility Monday and underwent a series of treatments with long-time trainer Gary Vitti, including electro-stimulation, ice and manual therapy, according to Lakers spokesman John Black.

Oft-injured running back Fred Taylor is sidelined again and could need surgery on his right ankle after leading the New England Patriots in rushing this season. Taylor is expected to miss Sunday's game at the Denver Broncos after sitting out his second straight day of practice Thursday, when ESPN.com reported that he needs surgery. He would play again this season unless there were complications, the report said. Patriots spokesman Stacey James said he was not aware that Taylor needed surgery.

Victor Oladipo "wasn't even close" to 100% healthy, Indiana Coach Tom Crean said of his star player Tuesday night. He was referring to the junior guard's sprained left ankle, which had kept him out of the second half of the Hoosiers' previous game three days earlier. But mentally Oladipo was all there, and that was enough to help No. 1 Indiana get past No. 4 Michigan State, 72-68, to take sole possession of first place in the Big Ten. “There's no doubt his foot hurt,” Crean said of Oladipo.

Matt Barnes returned to an empty arena. It was 11:15 p.m., about an hour after the Lakers' 104-100 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night, and there was Barnes back on the court doing something he had struggled with all night: shooting. Barnes has made only two of his 11 shots in the two playoff games, going 0 for 7 from three-point range. Though he described his sprained right ankle as only 75%-78% recovered, Barnes worked out with Lakers development coach Phil Handy, taking a wide range of jumpers from the baseline, the elbows at the top of the lane and from three-point range.

Kendrys Morales is scheduled to increase the intensity of his running drills Monday, the next step in what the Angels hope will be a return from a broken left ankle that has sidelined the slugger for a year and a half. Morales, who in 2009 hit .306 with 34 home runs and 108 runs batted in, has been hitting from both sides of the plate and jogging for a month, but he told MLB.com on Sunday that he hopes to move closer to sprinting Monday, the first day pitchers and catchers will work out. "This year, I've felt a lot better compared to last year -- I can do any exercises they give me," Morales said, speaking in Spanish.