Former US Open winner Juan Martin del Potro has withdrawn from the Brisbane International, officials said yesterday, further delaying his return to the court from an injury-blighted season last year.
The Argentine had been scheduled to play in the Brisbane event starting on Monday next week, ahead of defending his title in the Sydney International from Jan. 11 to 17 in the lead-up to the Australian Open.
However, Brisbane International officials said Del Potro “was forced to withdraw with a persistent left wrist injury.”
After winning the US Open in 2009, Del Potro’s career was hampered by surgery on his right wrist in 2010 before he fought his way back into the top 10 again.
Pain in his left wrist first flared up at the Australian Open last January.
He retired from his opening match in Dubai the following month and then withdrew from tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, undergoing surgery in late March.
He has not played since.
Del Potro’s withdrawal from Brisbane follows that of last year’s US Open winner Marin Cilic, who was forced to pull out earlier this week with a shoulder injury.
HOPMAN CUP
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from the Australian team at the Hopman Cup because of a back injury and has been replaced by Matthew Ebden.
Kyrgios, who beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round at Wimbledon in July, also planned to play in the Sydney International before the Australian Open begins on Jan. 19, but this is now uncertain.
Ebden is to pair with Casey Dellacqua in the Hopman Cup mixed teams event in Perth, tournament officials said yesterday.
Australia opens play on Sunday against Poland, with Canada earlier taking on the Czech Republic. The US’ Serena Williams and John Isner are to play their first match on Monday against Italy.
Additional reporting by AP
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was