Injuries Force Top Players Out of 2012 French Open
May 22, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Tenth-ranked Mardy Fish and women’s 16th-ranked Andrea Petkovic are among several players who pulled out of the upcoming French Open. Fish, the top-seeded American, has not played a match for more than a month due to an injury. He will be replaced by Canada’s Frank Dancevic. Petkovic has been forced out due to an ankle problem and is being replaced by Lesia Tsurenko of the Ukraine.
Also withdrawing from the event were Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay with a knee injury, who is now being replaced by Blaz Kavicic of Slovenia, and Spain’s Pere Riba who withdrew with a problem with his leg and is being replaced by Italy’s Simone Bolelli.
In the women’s draw, Agnes Szavay, Daniela Hantuchova and Timea Bacsinszky are all withdrawing. Szavay of Hungary is being replaced by Mathilde Johansson of Franch due to a back injury. Spain’s Laura Pous-Tio will be replacing Hantuchova due to her left foot. Johansson of France is pulling out due to an abdominal issue and will be replaced by Argentina’s Paula Ormaechea.
Robin Soderling will also be missing the French Open, Wimbledon and the Olympics, while he recovers from mononucleosis, which has kept him away from the ATP World Tour for nearly 10 months already. The last time Soderling played a tournament was his win in Bastad, Sweden, last July. Soderling is a two-time French Open runner-up. He upset world number two-ranked Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2009, which ended his 31-match winning streak there. It is unclear when Soderling will be back playing in tournaments, but he wants to fully recover before returning.
