Rafael Nadal's preparations for the Australian Open suffered a setback yesterday as the Spanish top seed was unable to continue in his opening Sydney International match against Australian Chris Guccione.
The 6-5 result for the 21-year-old Victorian kept Guccione's tennis dream alive after the youngster reached his first career final at the weekend, losing in Adelaide to Serb Novak Djokovic.
Nadal only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night after losing to Xavier Malisse in the semi-finals at Chennai, India, on Saturday.
Pulling out of his Sydney International match was a precautionary measure, Nadal said, adding that he had decided a twinge was not worth risking his Australian Open chances.
"Yes, yes, yes, I'm going to play [in the Australian Open] for sure, nothing is broke, it's just tight," Nadal said.
He will now rest and take treatment. The world No. 2 missed the Australian summer last year due to injury and is desperate to make a start.
"I'm sorry for the fans," Nadal said after becoming Guccione's latest scalp.
The Australian has lost just one match out of eight against Spaniards and has defeated former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero twice in Sydney.
"Something is wrong with my leg. I tried to warm up before the match but it was impossible to play my best. I have a week until Melbourne and I hope to be fit," Nadal said.
"I want to be 100 percent, I have a special motivation for that tournament," he said. "It's one of my goals for the season to play well there."
Holder James Blake took a decisive first step in his title defense, crushing fellow American Kevin Kim, 6-3, 6-4 to begin his season.
Blake lifted five trophies in a red-hot 2006, rising to a career-high fifth in the ranking.
"It won't be easy, but I'd love to have as much success as I had here last year and then maybe go to Melbourne with even more confidence," he said of his Open chances. "I'm definitely looking forward to this tournament and the rest of the Australian summer."
Czech qualifier Ivo Minar got a free ride when Thai Paradorn Srichaphan had to quit trailing 6-2, 3-0 with a wrist injury which bothered him at the end of last season and prevented him from playing in last month's Asian Games.
French sixth seed Richard Gasquet of France defeated countryman Julien Benneteau 6-1, 6-4.
In women's play, fully-fit Kim Clijsters joined Amelie Mauresmo as an opening-round winner while China's Na Li stunned No. 6 Russian Elena Dementieva 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 in the second round.
Clijsters and Mauresmo, former number 1 players and ex-tournament champions, scored contrasting wins, with Clijsters taking a stroll past Australian veteran Nicole Pratt 6-1, 6-2 in 55 minutes after an opening-round bye.
"I've been working hard on fitness and feel as good as I have in a long time on court," said the third-seeded Belgian winner, who lifted the Sydney title in 2003 and plans to quit the game at age 24 sometime this year.
"I'm keeping it simple," she said.
Mauresmo, the defending Australian Open champion and Sydney winner in 2000, faced more of a struggle before finally edging out French compatriot Tatiana Golovin 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-1.
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