(Reuters) – World number four Stefanos Tsitsipas pulled out of his ATP Cup opener against Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz in Sydney on Saturday due to a niggling right elbow issue, tournament organisers said.
Tsitsipas was forced to retire from the second round of the Paris Masters and lost his opening match against Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals in November before withdrawing from the season-ending tournament due to the injury.
The 23-year-old Greek, who had posted pictures of himself on a hospital bed during the off-season, sported an ice pack on his right arm in Sydney before his match against Polish world number nine Hurkacz.
He was replaced by Aristotelis Thanos.
But Tsitsipas played down concerns that the issue would derail his campaign at the Australian Open, which begins on Jan. 17.
“The recovery from my elbow surgery in November is on track for Melbourne and today was a precautionary step to make sure I make (it to) Melbourne,” Tsitsipas said.
“We will see day by day, match by match until then.”
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru: Editing by Neil Fullick)
