Nadal leads injury pullout parade in Sydney

Jan 9, 2007, 9:28 GMT

Sydney - Top seed Rafael Nadal led a parade of injury withdrawals at the Medibank International on Tuesday, pulling out with a pulled groin 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. He lost in the final at Adelaide to Serb Novak Djokovic.

Nadal only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night after losing to Xavier Malisse in the semi-finals at Chennai on Saturday.

He will now rest and take treatment in hopes of being able to start at the Open form Monday. The world number 2 missed the Australian summer in 2006 due to injury and is desperate to make a start.

'I'm sorry for the fans,' said the seed.

'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.

'I want to be 100 per cent, I have a special motivation for that tournament,' he said. 'It's one of my goals for the season to play well there.'

Women's second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova also didn't last the distance. After playing one set against Katarina Srebotnik, the 2004 US Open winner from Russia withdrew with breathing difficulties.

Serb Ana Ivanovic advanced when Russian fourth seed Nadia Petrova pulled out trailing 6-2, 4-2.

Czech men's qualifier Ivo Minar got a free ride when Thai Paradorn Srichaphan had to quit trailing 6-2, 3-0 with a wrist injury that bothered him at the end of last season and prevented him from playing in December's Asian Games.

Title-holder James Blake took a decisive first step in his title defence, 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.'

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 number 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. I don't have to worry about injuries at the moment, I can just concentrate on the little yellow ball.'

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.

She next faces surging Serb Jelena Jankovic, who rolled Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) a day after putting out Martina Hingis.

Jankovic, 12th in the world, came to Sydney with a title from Auckland at the weekend.

Israeli Shahar Peer upset Swiss seventh Patty Schnyder 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 while eight-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova advanced over Yuliana Fedak of the Ukraine 6-3, 6-1.