Organisers of the tournament said Sharapova had informed them that she was pulling out because of a shoulder injury.

'We certainly wish Maria a speedy recovery and hope she is able to return to the court quickly,' said Tournament Director Adam Barrett.

'I know our fans will miss watching her on the court but I know she still plans on coming to Miami so they will still have the opportunity to see her on site and around town.'

The US$3.77 million (S$5.22 million) event, which begins next week and runs through April 6, is considered a mandatory event by the WTA, meaning the 20-year-old Russian beauty would face face punishment from the tour for skipping the event without a medical reason.

On Saturday night, after falling to compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in the semi-finals of the tournament at Indian Wells, Sharapova had incidated she would be willing to accept a fine if necessary.

'My body is kind of hurting a little bit,' Sharapova said. 'I just want to be smart about the decisions I make, and after a good night's rest have a little sit-down conversation.

'At this point of the year I can't really be putting any pressure to myself and saying, 'You've got to go out there and play next week.' If I'm not going to be ready, I'm not going to be ready. No one's forcing me to go out there and play.'

Kuznetsova's victory ended Sharapova's 18-match winning streak to start the season, a run that included a victory in the Australian Open and at Doha.

In the wake of Doha last month, the former world number one pulled out of an event at Dubai with a viral illness. -- AFP