Injury knocks out Nadal's Australian dream

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a foot injury, the Spaniard announced.

Published on: Jan 10, 2006, 18:36:00 IST

PTI | By Anonymous, Paris

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World No. 2 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a foot injury, the Spaniard announced on his website on Tuesday.

The Australian Open, the first of the year's four Grand Slam tournaments, starts in Melbourne on Monday.

The 19-year-old Majorcan, who won his first major title at last year's French Open, would have been seeded second and due to play top seed Roger Federer in the final.

But after missing the opening tournaments of the year which are geared at preparing for the Australian Open, he decided after a new training stint in Barcelona that he would not be fit in time to play.

The player's website said that an official announcement was about to be made.

"Although his foot has improved, he's not 100 percent and although he wants to play in Australia it's best that he passes and gets ready for the rest of the year," the website www.vamosrafael.com said.

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