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    SYDNEY, Australia -- World number two Rafael Nadal withdrew from the Sydney International with a leg injury during the first set of his opening match on Tuesday, less than a week before the Australian Open. The twice French Open champion had treatment on his right thigh just above the knee when trailing Australian Chris Guccione 4-3 and pulled out when he was trailing 5-6 on serve. Nadal had lengthy treatment from a trainer before resuming but decided not to complete the match because of concern over the injury ahead of Monday's Australian Open in Melbourne. The 20-year-old Spaniard missed last year's Australian Open with a left foot injury. Nadal only arrived in Sydney late on Monday from India, where he lost to Belgian Xavier Malisse 6-4 7-6 in the semifinals in Chennai last Saturday. The Spaniard, who lost to Roger Federer in last year's Wimbledon final, suffered the original injury playing in Chennai, but aggravated it during his time on court in Sydney. Nadal beat world number one Federer four times in finals last year and became the youngest back-to-back champion at Roland Garros since Bjorn Borg in 1974-75. Compatriot Carlos Moya, who traveled with Nadal to Sydney from India, said his injury was genuine. "I don't know what the others are doing, but I know Paradorn Srichaphan was having trouble with his wrist back in India last week," Moya said after his three-set win over Australian Luke Bourgeois. "I knew Rafael wasn't feeling that well. I cannot talk about something that I don't really know, but these two players, for sure they were injured." Thailand's Paradorn pulled out of his match Tuesday with Czech Ivo Minar when trailing 2-6 0-3, complaining of pain in his right wrist. Big-serving Guccione, who reached the final of the Australian Hardcourts in Adelaide last weekend, will now play Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the quarterfinals. "I feel like I'm hitting the ball better than probably this time last year, but I think the big thing was the confidence and self-belief that I could play consistently with these guys," Guccione said. Meanwhile, defending champion James Blake beat fellow-American Kevin Kim 6-3 6-4 in just 46 minutes. "I came into last year with no real expectations," Blake said. "It's a very difficult draw, a lot of the top players, everyone looking to peak around this time. "It's not going to be easy, but I would love to have as much success as I had here last year and then maybe take it to Melbourne with even more confidence and hopefully go a little further." Qualifier Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic advanced to the second round when Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand had to retire in the second set with a wrist injury. Minar was ahead 6-2 3-0. Mauresmo throughTop-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, who received a first-round bye, beat French compatriot Tatiana Golovin 6-7 7-5 6-1 to move into the women's quarterfinals. Mauresmo, playing for the first time Down Under since her Australian Open win last year, fought off three set points in the first before Golovin won in the tiebreaker. Mauresmo, who lost in the first round in Sydney last year, and Golovin each made 43 unforced errors and Golovin had 10 double faults. "It wouldn't have been a disaster to lose because that's what I did last year," said Mauresmo, who also won Wimbledon in 2006. Former U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, the second-seeded woman, retired from her match against Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia with an undisclosed injury after Srebotnik won the first set 6-2. Nadia Petrova, the fourth seed, withdrew shortly afterwards complaining of an abdominal strain, while trailing 6-4, 4-2 against Serbia's Ana Ivanovic. Jelena Jankovic, who upset fifth-seeded Martina Hingis in the first round, beat Australian Samantha Stosur 6-2 7-6. Third-seeded Kim Clijsters beat Nicole Pratt of Australia 6-1 6-2. Auckland washoutRain prevented play on the second day of the Heineken Open in Auckland, washing out eight singles and four doubles matches. Second-seeded Mario Ancic, former French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and two-time champion Dominik Hrbaty were among those whose matches were affected. Rain was forecast for the rest of the week but organizers said matches would be transferred indoors only as a last resort. |
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Nadal walks off court after pulling out of his match against Guccione.
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