Fernando Verdasco wins Kooyong Classic after Alex Dolgopolov withdraws due to injury, could miss Australian Open
Ukranian world number 23 Alex Dolgopolov is likely to miss the Australian Open after re-injuring his knee during the final of the Kooyong Classic.
The 21st seed was drawn on Friday to face Italian Paolo Lorenzi in round one but fears he has suffered a torn meniscus for the second time in less than a year.
Dolgopolov started to clutch at his knee during the tie-break of his opening set against Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, which he lost 7-3.
He called for a trainer before retiring, handing Verdasco the title.
I'm not sure I'll be playing in the Open because it feels quite the same like I did before the surgery.
The 26-year-old said the injury felt the same as he suffered in July playing in Hamburg, which required surgery and 10 weeks recovering on the sidelines.
"When I was warming up and playing the first set it was fine and the last few games I started feeling something strange in the knee and it started to get worse," he said.
"I'm not sure I'll be playing in the Open because it feels quite the same like I did before the surgery.
"My physio is saying 99 per cent meniscus that I injured before."
He will undergo an MRI scan later on Friday.
AAP