Nadal withdraws from Thailand Open

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 11:44

Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from next week’s Thailand Open as he is yet to recover from the abdominal strain that blighted his US Open earlier this month.

The world No.2 pulled out after receiving medical advice, Suwat Liptapanlop, president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand, told reporters.

An ultrasound has found that Nadal suffered an “acute rupture of his right abdominal muscle” during the American swing.

The Spaniard, who also sat out Spain’s Davis Cup semi-final victory over Israel over the weekend, will require physiotherapy, rest and medication for “two to three weeks,” the chief doctor of the Spanish Tennis Federation said in a statement released by tournament organizers on Monday.

The abdominal muscle issue first flared up in New York during his third-round victory over Nicolas Almagro, and a rain delay prevented him doing further damage against Fernando Gonzalez before returning a day later to win a protracted quarter-final.

Despite the injury Nadal reached the US Open semi-final for a second straight year, losing in straight sets to eventual champion Juan Martin del Potro, who upset five-time defending champion Roger Federer in the final to claim his maiden grand slam title.

Nadal was forced to forego his title defence at Wimbledon after being diagnosed with quadriceps tendinities in both knees that kept him off-tour throughout June and July.

In Nadal’s absence, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the defending champion, will be the top seed for the Bangkok event.

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