Four-time champion Monica Seles has withdrawn from the Australian Open, which starts Monday, because of a lingering foot injury, tournament officials said.
The sixth-ranked Seles, who pulled out of the U.S. team in the Hopman Cup mixed-team event last week in Perth, won the Grand Slam event from 1991-93 and again in 1996.
The former world No. 1 has been sidelined since late September with a stress fracture in her right foot..
– Todd Martin, the defending champion in the Sydney International, beat Andrei Medvedev in his opening match but No. 1 seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil was upset by Spain’s Francisco Clavet. Qualifier Adrian Voinea of Romania upset Vincent Spadea of the U.S.
– Defending champion and fourth-seeded Chanda Rubin of the U.S. beat Nicole Pratt of Australia at the Tasmanian International.
– Michael Chang won his first match at the Auckland Open over Zimbabwe’s Byron Black.
