Injured world No.5 Del Potro to miss Australian Open

BUENOS AIRES: World number five Juan Martin del Potro said on Monday he will miss the Australian Open starting in two weeks' time as he hasn't yet recovered from a fractured knee suffered in October.

Writing on Twitter, the Argentine said: "Recovery is going great and I will tell you later where I will be making my comeback. Unfortunately it won't happen in Australia."

The injury-plagued 30-year-old hobbled out of the Shanghai Masters two months ago after an awkward fall before doctors diagnosed him with a fractured patella bone in his right knee.

Since winning the US Open in 2009 as a 20-year-old, Del Potro has been plagued with physical problems, including a series of wrist injuries that required four surgeries.

But 2018 had seen something of a resurgence from a player who dropped to 581 in the world in 2015.

He beat Swiss great Roger Federer in the Indian Wells Masters final in March and in September he reached a second Grand Slam final, but was beaten in straight sets by current world No.1 Novak Djokovic at the US Open.

He even reached a career-high ranking of three in August.

While he said on Twitter he would "miss" the Australian Open, he added that he was "happy with my progress."