Big-serving Australian Mark Philippoussis has withdrawn from Wimbledon because of a recurring knee injury.
The 24-year-old from Melbourne knocked Tim Henman out of the All-England Championships in the fourth round last year and also beat GregRusedski at the same stage in 1999.
But he has been hindered by injury this year and fallen from 11th in the Champions Race to 61st.
He last played in an ATP Tour event in March at the Miami Ericsson Open.
Meanwhile former French and Australian Open champion Mary Pierce will also miss this year's championships because of injury.
France's former world number three is still being plagued by a nagging back injury and has fallen to 75 in the world rankings. American CorinaMorariu and Poland's Magdalena Grzybowska have also pulled out. -Reuters
