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Safin, Nadal out of Australian Open
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-01-11 09:19
MELBOURNE, Australia - Defending champion Marat Safin and French Open winner
Rafael Nadal are out of the Australian Open, joining Andre Agassi on the
sidelines for the first Grand Slam of the year.
Marat Safin holds
the 2005 Australian Open championship trophy after his win over
Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in Melbourne in this January 30, 2005 file
photograph. [Reuters] | "I am very sad that I
cannot go to the Australian Open to defend my title as champion," Safin said on
his Web site.
Bothered by a left knee injury, he played in only one tournament in the last
five months of 2005.
"I have been working very hard and it is a lot better," he said. "In my heart
I know I want to be at the Australian Open to try to play but I have had to
listen to what (coach Peter Lundgren), my team and also myself are saying that
it would not be right to go to a Grand Slam and put so much test on my knee
right now."
Nadal, the world's second-ranked player, said on Tuesday he was pulling out
because of the left foot he injured in October at the Madrid Masters, the last
event he played.
"The Australian Open is too important to go there and play without the
necessary condition to compete well," Nadal said in a statement released by the
ATP. "I have only been practicing at a high level for the last 10 days, and that
is not enough to go into a professional tournament."
The Australian Open begins Monday.
Agassi, a four-time champion at Melbourne Park, pulled out last week with an
ankle injury. Former Australian Open champ Thomas Johannson was also
questionable — he has a right shoulder injury and withdrew from the Sydney
International this week.
Andy Roddick did not play in the Masters Cup last November due to a back
injury, and will see his first action on Wednesday at the Kooyong exhibition
event in Melbourne, while Lleyton Hewitt has a stomach virus at Sydney and
nearly pulled out of his first-round match.
Meanwhile, Roger Federer said Tuesday he's 100 percent healthy and has no
concerns that the ankle problem that curtailed his last season will flare up
before the Australian Open.
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