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Nadal, Agassi join Masters Cup's long injury list

Andre Agassi looks at a ball from Russia's Nikolay Davydenko during their Masters Cup game at the Qi Zhong stadium in Shanghai on Monday. Agassi lost 6-4, 6-2 to Davydenko and then pulled out of the tournament, citing an ankle injury. PHOTO: AP

Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal and US veteran Andre Agassi sensationally quit the Masters Cup with injuries on Monday, joining a long injury list and raising further questions about the demands of professional tennis.

Nineteen-year-old Nadal, the world No. 2, announced he was pulling out with a left foot injury just before he was due to play his opening match.

"I was very excited to play here. It's bad luck, but I hope I can qualify next year for Shanghai," he said.

Minutes later, third seed Agassi said he was withdrawing with an ankle problem after slumping to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to Russian Nikolay Davydenko.

"With the state of my ankle right now there's no chance for me to be able to play again," said the eight-time Grand Slam winner.

The 35-year-old Agassi, who has not played since the US Open, said he had sprained his left ankle playing racquetball.

"For me to go out on the court to play like this, nobody wants to see it. It's very dangerous and risky for me ... I can't play like that," he said.

The double withdrawal takes the total number to five, after Marat Safin and Andy Roddick also pulled out with injuries and Lleyton Hewitt bypassed the tournament to be with his pregnant wife.

It also eases the task of top seed Roger Federer, who is chasing a hat-trick here.

Nadal's injury ends a stellar season for the teenager, who has won 11 singles titles including a Grand Slam and has notched up 79 wins.

The popular Spaniard, who has rocketed up the rankings and was seeded second here, appeared on court at the Qi Zhong Stadium to announce his withdrawal and apologize to the thousands of fans.

He said he had pulled out on doctors' advice after undergoing tests at a local hospital on his foot, which he damaged winning the Madrid Masters final last month, his last match.

Nadal's replacement, Mariano Puerta, was beaten 6-3, 7-5 by fellow Argentinian Gaston Gaudio, whose formidable backhand and accurate serving led him to his sixth victory against his childhood friend in their last six meetings.

The hard-hitting Puerta, who has denied recent newspaper allegations that he tested positive for the stimulant etilifrine, did not help himself with 25 unforced errors.

He later explained that he was surprised by the call-up and not properly prepared for the game.

"It was a complete surprise and I tried to do my best," Puerta said. "It was not a great game and I felt I made a lot of mistakes, in part due to the situation that I was suddenly in, and I also had a friend in front of me so it was not easy."

Puerta's next game is today against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez, who has been called up to replace Agassi.

Agassi said he had given himself just a 50-50 chance of playing when he arrived here three weeks after tearing ankle ligaments and bruising a bone in the racquetball accident.

And he looked distinctly out of sorts as he crashed to his first defeat against Davydenko in three meetings.

Agassi, the oldest player at a season-ending tournament since Jimmy Connors in 1987, was broken in his fourth service game and dumped two returns into the net to gift Davydenko the first set.

Things did not improve in the second set, when he was broken for 3-2 and wasted three break points in the next game.

He was broken again for 5-2 before Davydenko closed out the match to love, Agassi again dunking his forehand return into the net.
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