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Post by Brinyi on Dec 28, 2005 10:08:55 GMT -5
Champion Safin in doubt for Australian Open By Julian Linden
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Marat Safin is increasingly unlikely to defend his Australian Open title because of a knee injury, tournament director Paul McNamee said on Tuesday.
Safin has not played since August and is facing a race against time to be ready for the Australian Open, starting at Melbourne Park on January 16.
The Russian announced his withdrawal from the Hopman Cup, one of the lead-up events for the Open, in a statement on his website.
"Not playing this tournament, which was an important part of his preparation for Melbourne, certainly puts him behind the eight ball," McNamee told reporters on Tuesday.
"There is certainly a big question mark over his participation in the Open."
Safin won his first Australian Open this year, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals then coming from a set down to defeat Lleyton Hewitt in the final.
He has been plagued by knee trouble since tearing a ligament at Wimbledon and has not played since the Cincinnati Masters Series in August.
McNamee said he was still waiting on news about Spain's French Open champion Rafael Nadal after the world number two withdrew from the Indian Open in Chennai.
Nadal told organizers he was pulling out of next week's season-opening event because of a foot injury that forced him to miss the Masters Cup.
"There is no more information other than he's pulled out of Chennai," McNamee told Australian radio.
"Fingers crossed there. He's obviously the number two for Melbourne and a pretty big guy there."
Australian Open organizers are also hoping Maria Sharapova and four-times champion Andre Agassi will recover for the event.
Sharapova withdrew from the Australian women's hardcourt championships, which she had intended to use as a warm-up, because of a shoulder problem while Agassi is battling a long-term ankle injury.
Players have been asking for the first grand slam of the year, which is traditionally held in the last two weeks of January, to be moved back to March when the weather is cooler and also to give them a longer break.
It is not unusual for top players to miss the Australian Open through injury and this year's casualties included defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, beaten finalist Kim Clijsters and Jennifer Capriati, the 2001 and 2002 winner.
Tennis Australia officials did agree to push the 2007 tournament back one week but later scrapped the plan and reverted back to the original dates.
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Post by orange nightmare on Dec 29, 2005 13:36:25 GMT -5
I still don't understand why Safin is taking so long to recover from his torn muscle injury while Federer has already healed from the same injury?
And what's wrong with Nadal's foot? Hairline fracture?
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Post by Brinyi on Dec 29, 2005 14:33:19 GMT -5
The explanation I saw of Nadal's injury at the time of Shanghai was "an injury to the ligament in the middle of his foot".
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Post by Dina on Dec 30, 2005 9:14:04 GMT -5
His foot injury is healed but he started using insoles to prevent further foot injuries and that has lead to pain in his calves so Uncle Toni says they will not go to Aus just to win one match so it's unsure whether he will go
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Post by Brinyi on Dec 30, 2005 9:39:37 GMT -5
Thanks Dina, and
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Post by freudo on Dec 30, 2005 10:14:04 GMT -5
poop...me hates injuries, damned in-soles
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Post by freudo on Dec 30, 2005 10:16:52 GMT -5
I still don't understand why Safin is taking so long to recover from his torn muscle injury while Federer has already healed from the same injury? And what's wrong with Nadal's foot? Hairline fracture? I don't thin Safin's injury and Roger's were the same...Safin's is a knee thing...Roger had plantar fasciatus twice last year, a thigh strain, and ankle ligament from rolling over on it...
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 5, 2006 14:27:43 GMT -5
Agassi has withdrawn -- putting Mello Yello in the main draw!
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 10, 2006 9:19:59 GMT -5
Nadal has withdrawn.
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Post by adeegee on Jan 10, 2006 9:22:06 GMT -5
Nadal has withdrawn.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 10, 2006 11:40:52 GMT -5
If I'm not mistaken I think this puts Fat Spaniard in the main draw.
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Post by adeegee on Jan 10, 2006 12:30:46 GMT -5
I think Fat Spaniard is having injury problems of his own
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 10, 2006 12:39:20 GMT -5
I think Fat Spaniard is having injury problems of his own It's true that he hasn't been playing at all down under. I hope he can make it because the next players in are pretty uninspiring until you get 4 or 5 names down and reach rising Thai star Udomchoke.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 10, 2006 16:00:50 GMT -5
And Safin has finally announced his withdrawal.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 11, 2006 6:24:26 GMT -5
Clijsters is now doubtful (hip)...
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Post by Grarliner on Jan 11, 2006 6:50:27 GMT -5
Kim will play, I decree.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 11, 2006 21:13:33 GMT -5
Nalbandian Withdraws From Exhibition By Associated Press January 11, 2006, 8:28 PM EST
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Masters Cup champion David Nalbandian withdrew from the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament on Thursday because of a stomach virus.
Nalbandian, who climbed to No. 6 after beating top-ranked Roger Federer in the season-ending Masters Cup final in Shanghai in November, retired from his opening match Wednesday against Germany's Nicolas Kiefer while trailing 6-3, 3-2.
He originally told organizers he'd play his remaining two matches at Kooyong but withdrew overnight to ensure he was fit for the Australian Open, which starts Monday.
He was replaced in the eight-man invitational Kooyong draw by Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
It continues a series of concerns for Australian Open organizers.
Defending champion Marat Safin, No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal and four-time champion Andre Agassi are already out of the season's first major with knee and ankle injuries.
Thomas Johansson, the 2002 winner, is doubtful because of a shoulder injury. No. 4-ranked Lleyton Hewitt struggled with a stomach virus in his first round at Sydney earlier this week, but recovered to win his next match and reach the quarterfinals.
On the women's side, No. 2 Kim Clijsters pulled out of the Sydney International on Wednesday after hurting her hip.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 12, 2006 6:44:28 GMT -5
"I had an MRI scan this morning and it's shown I have an inflammation of the hip joint and tendon," Clijsters said in a statement released through the WTA Tour on Thursday.
"The good news is that there is no tear of the muscle. In the next couple of days I'm going to receive more treatment and do some stabilisation exercises.
"At that point I'll have a better idea of my condition."
The WTA said another medical report on Clijsters' condition will be released on Sunday.
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Post by janie on Jan 14, 2006 8:59:08 GMT -5
Kim's now in Melbourne, practicing. Probably a couple cortisone shots have done the trick.
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Post by Brinyi on Jan 15, 2006 1:12:23 GMT -5
Clijsters still disturbed by hip injury ahead of Australian Open Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters said Saturday that the hip injury was giving her more trouble than expected and was rather pessimistic about her condition ahead of the Australian Open to start Monday.
In an interview with the Belgian paper, Het Nieuwsblad, Clijsters said that she could not train and was undergoing intensive therapy.
Clijsters told the paper that she would ask the Australian Open organizers if she can postpone her first match until Tuesday.
Even if she gets permission to delay her start at the tournament, the question remains whether Clijsters will be in a fit state for the tournament.
Clijsters acknowledged that the injury has a lot to do with her style of play but also realized that she cannot change this so late in her professional tennis career.
She withdrew from her quarterfinal at the Sydney International on Wednesday last week after hurting her left hip during warmups.
The 22-year-old returned to competition last year following left wrist surgery and also had to fight back from a right knee strain during 2005 to win a tour-leading nine titles.
Source: Xinhua
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Post by Grarliner on Jan 15, 2006 10:55:46 GMT -5
Kim's now in Melbourne, practicing. Probably a couple cortisone shots have done the trick. If they gave her C, probably just one, no? There's a real low limit on how much cortisone one can withstand. When Lindsay had her nerve problem in 2003, I can remember her talking about getting a 4th shot that year, the upper limit of how many are considered safe in one year.
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Post by janie on Jan 15, 2006 11:03:33 GMT -5
Yeah, but I think they can give 2 within a few days time. Since the problem is inflammation, it would seem to be the best treatment. I'm glad Kim did get the Tuesday start, but not for her sake, but for Cho's. She probably needed a couple days to recover after her tough week, so I'm glad she got it.
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Post by Grarliner on Jan 15, 2006 12:20:11 GMT -5
Yeah, but I think they can give 2 within a few days time. Since the problem is inflammation, it would seem to be the best treatment. I'm glad Kim did get the Tuesday start, but not for her sake, but for Cho's. She probably needed a couple days to recover after her tough week, so I'm glad she got it. Nicotine is an anti-inflammatory. Maybe Kim should start smoking to help her athletic career.
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Post by janie on Jan 15, 2006 17:16:10 GMT -5
I just can't get a picture of Kim-with-cigarette in my head -- it does not compute. It's like trying to picture Justine, or Akgul, on the cover of Maxim ... the mind explodes!
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Post by Pamela Shriver on Jan 21, 2006 22:33:55 GMT -5
I don't know how one can smoke while playing tennis. Before I quit, I was a very light smoker for a short period of time, and I like couldn't move on the baseline without feeling dead.
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Post by DBBN on Jan 21, 2006 23:20:18 GMT -5
***NEWS FLASH***
Kim has withdrawn from the tournament and is currently a 10-cents-an-hour hooker on the streets of Hasselt.
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Post by Grarliner on Jan 22, 2006 12:16:49 GMT -5
***NEWS FLASH*** Kim has withdrawn from the tournament and is currently a 10-cents-an-hour hooker on the streets of Hasselt. I suppose that explains your recent trip?
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Post by DBBN on Jan 22, 2006 14:44:01 GMT -5
I was spotted at the bank the other day, procuring a roll of dimes!
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