Del Potro out of Aussie Open

WELLINGTON — On-going fitness issues have forced Juan Martin del Potro out of next month’s Australian Open and his planned warm up event in New Zealand, organizers of the Auckland Classic announced Saturday. “Juan Martin del Potro has confirmed he will withdraw from the Australasian swing due to fitness issues,” the Classic organizers said in a statement, referring to the two tournaments in January. “Del Potro confirmed via his management team overnight that he has not had sufficient recovery time and will be withdrawing from the (Auckland) Classic and the Australian Open.” The announcement came a month after del Potro staged an incredible comeback to down world No. 6 Marin Cilic of Croatia in an epic five-setter to set Argentina up for their first Davis Cup crown. Del Potro was the 2016 Tennis comeback success story. After missing most of last year because of injury, he began 2016 ranked 1,042th and finished at 38th after a meteoric rise which included wins over Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Keys to miss Australian Open after wrist surgery World No. 8 Madison Keys will miss next month’s Australian Open after undergoing wrist surgery, the American said Friday. Keys, 21, who made the round of 16 at all four Grand Slam tournaments last year, had the procedure in early November and would not be ready for the season-opening Grand Slam that begins at Melbourne Park on Jan. 16. “Three days after the year-end WTA Championships I had minor arthroscopic surgery on my left wrist,” she said on Twitter. “The procedure was very short, did not involve any tendon issues and went very well ... I don’t want to rush back and need to take my time to be fully ready to perform my best on the court.” Keys, who plays right-handed, also revealed she was being coached again by former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, having worked with Thomas Hogstedt for the last year. Kyrgios set for comeback Australia’s Nick Kyrgios said Saturday he was ready for scrutiny at next month’s Australian Open, as the volatile star prepares for his comeback after a playing ban. The controversial 21-year-old said his forced hiatus from Tennis — when a meltdown at the Shanghai Masters in October resulted in an initial eight-week suspension — has proved a blessing. A condition of the ATP reducing the ban to three weeks meant Kyrgios has been seeing a sports psychologist to prepare him for the new Tennis season. “I needed to shut down really after a very long and tough year,” Kyrgios told Fairfax Media Saturday. He added he was now focusing on “managing my schedule and time better to help with physical and mental freshness”. Kyrgios knows he will be in the spotlight at his home Grand Slam tournament and he is working to ensure the media pressure does not derail his campaign. “Look, the added media interest is never easy and it’s something that I haven’t fully got my head around or got used to, but what can I do?” Kyrgios said. “As far as how I’ll deal with it, I’ll just keep my head down and go about my business as I have done the past few Aussie summers.” — Agencies