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Full-stop for Molik
Afp, Sydney

Alicia Molik

Australia's Alicia Molik, winner of five WTA singles titles and an Olympic bronze medallist, has announced her retirement from tennis.

Molik, one of the biggest servers in women's tennis, said she was quitting at the age of 27, after injuries and a debilitating inner ear infection that forced her off the court for almost a year.

Although Molik recovered from the infection, she was never able to regain the peak form that saw her ranked number eight in the world in 2005, after a quarter final appearance at the Australian Open.

Fairfax Newspapers reported Friday that recent leg and arm injuries convinced the tall right-hander that it was time to retire.

"It's tiring and it's very draining but I guess it's a number of things culminating," said Molik from the state of South Australia.

"I've spent a lot of time thinking.

"I did have a huge setback three years ago, with my middle ear problem.

"It took a while to get back and since then I've just struggled with a few more things that I never imagined would come along the way.

"But that isn't the only thing.

"I think I'm still young enough to focus my energies on something that I feel is again challenging."

Molik's last outing was a first-round exit at the Beijing Olympics in August, having won bronze in the singles four years ago in Athens.

She had bowed out in the first round at her last five tournaments, since reaching the fourth round in Prague in May.