Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Toronto

Written by: Staff on 3rd August 2012

RAFAEL NADAL WILL BE THE SPANISH OLYMPIC TEAM FLAG BEARER

Rafael Nadal Withdraws From Toronto

epa03306439 Spanish tennis player Rafael Nadal delivers a speech after he received the Spanish national flag which he will bear during the London 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony, at Spanish Olympic Committee headquarters in Madrid, Spain, 14 July 2012. Nadal will be the Spanish olympic team flag bearer in the London 2012 Games beginning on 27 July 2012. EPA/BALLESTEROS |

Rafael Nadal, absent from the ongoing Olympic tennis at Wimbledon’s All England Club, has cast further doubts over his long-term future by withdrawing from the Rogers Cup that starts in Toronto Saturday.

The 26 year-old world no.3 has not missed the Canadian leg of the ATP World Tour’s Masters 1000 series since 2004 but the tendonitis in his left knee is not sufficiently healed and he is unable to give a projected date for his return to competitive tennis.

To compound the woes of tournament director Karl Hale, there were further withdrawals from Nadal’s fellow Spaniards David Ferrer and Fernando Verdasco while France ’s Gael Monfils, an absentee from action since before the French Open, has also sent his apologies.

“Rafa is one of the fan favourites here and has always been a great supporter of our tournament,” said Hale. “We’re obviously disappointed that he won’t be in Toronto this year but we wish him a speedy recovery so he can return to the Tour as soon as possible.”

Nadal has only played four matches since winning the French Open nearly two months ago, two on the German grass at Halle and another two at Wimbledon where he suffered the shock defeat from the Czech re public ’s Lukas Rosol. However he stated: “I will compete when my knee says I am ready to compete. I don’t want to go on court with bad feeling because then it is terrible.”

At last year’s Rogers Cup, staged in Montreal , Nadal was a first round loser to Croatia ’s Ivan Dodig but he has twice won the event, in Montreal in 2005 and Toronto four years ago. In 2010, when the event was last played at the Rexall Center on the York University campus, the Spaniard lost in the semi-final to Andy Murray.

In a statement, released by his public ist Benito Perez-Barbadillo, Nadal said: “Coming to Toronto is always one of the highlights of my season so I’m very disappointed that I can’t play there this year.

“I did everything I could to be ready but I still need some more time to recover.”

The Rogers Cup was bracing itself for withdrawals in the wake of the Olympics and this year the draws for both the men’s and women’s event (to be played in Montreal) reduced to 48 players from 56, with the top 16 seeds all receiving first-round byes. Three Canadian men: Frank Dancevic Peter Polansky and Vasek Pospisil – have received wild card entries into the main draw.

©Daily Tennis News Wire

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