Tennis: World number two Rafael Nadal has pulled out of this month's Australian Open saying he is not yet fit enough to face the demands of a grand slam tournament.
The 19-year-old Spaniard told a news conference in Barcelona today that he was in the final stages of recovery from an injury to his left foot and was still struggling for full fitness.
“I'm quite happy with the way I have recovered and the foot has improved quite a lot recently and I can now play almost without any pain,” he said.
“But I still need to recover full confidence in my foot and find that spark needed to play at the top level."
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Nadal sustained the injury at the end of last season and was forced to withdraw from the Masters Cup in Shanghai in November.