Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep withdrew from the Brisbane International event due to injuries, just weeks before the first Grand Slam of the tennis calendar. Defending champion Sharapova is suffering from an arm injury and has to stand down as a precautionary measure before the Melbourne Open, due to start on the 18th January. Romanian top seed Halep is nursing and inflammation in her left Achilles, an injury that hampered her 2015 campaign.

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