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Nick Kyrgios has withdrawn from this week’s Halle Open grasscourt event, placing a significant query mark over his health to compete at Wimbledon.
The Australian, who reached final 12 months’s ultimate at Wimbledon, was introduced on Monday as a non-starter within the German warm-up occasion, along with his long-standing knee harm cited as the rationale by the ATP.
However in a press launch and video issued by the Halle organisers, the 28-year-old was nonetheless remaining upbeat.
“Very unlucky information. I received’t be capable of compete at Halle this 12 months. I’m nonetheless coping with a few issues with my knee. Simply making an attempt to offer myself one of the best alternative to compete at Wimbledon,” stated Kyrgios.
“As you all know, that event means loads to me and I simply need to do all the things proper by my physique.
“I attempted all the things right here in Halle the final couple of days, however then I needed to make the choice to drag out. I would like, once I play, to ship a efficiency like final 12 months once I was within the semi-finals. However that can actually not be doable.”
The 28-year-old solely made his comeback to motion final week after being sidelined for seven months following knee surgical procedure however he struggling badly as he went out within the first spherical in Stuttgart, crushed by a grasscourt novice Wu Yibing 7-5 6-3.
The match was Kyrgios’ first tour-level singles match since October, excluding an exhibition look in Saudi Arabia in December.
Shifting across the courtroom gingerly, Kyrgios regarded as if he might need been making his comeback too early, and was clearly reluctant to race across the courtroom.
Through the changeover after the third sport of the second set Kyrgios might be overheard saying to his crew: “I really feel my knee each level. I can’t stroll with out ache.”
After hobbling off the courtroom, the person from Canberra wrote on social media: “Be affected person with me my followers please…. It’s a course of to get again to the place I used to be. I do know it’s laborious so that you can see me carry out like right this moment, however I want extra time and hopefully can get again to the place I used to be.”
It appears as if it might no be in time for one more crack at Wimbledon which begins in two weeks.
He had been because of play Lorenzo Sonego in Tuesday’s opening spherical however withdrew on the eve of his match.
-AAP