UTS Hong Kong: injured Alex de Minaur latest big-name star to pull out of tournament

Alex de Minaur pulled out of this week’s Ultimate Tennis Series in Hong Kong on Sunday after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The Australian arrived in Hong Kong on Saturday to prepare for the tournament, having lost 6-4, 6-4 to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-finals of the Shanghai Masters the day before.

And organisers said while the 26-year-old had tried everything to get fit, the pain was considered too high to sustain the high-intensity physical competition likely at Kai Tak Arena.

“I was very much looking forward to participating in the first UTS event held in Hong Kong,” de Minaur said. “However, it now seems I haven’t physically recovered quickly enough as I was feeling the pain even before working on the practice court. After discussing with my team, I have had no choice but to withdraw and to meet my doctors for a proper assessment.

“I have been amazed by the excellent venue for the Hong Kong leg of the tour and the outstanding player line-up, which is sure to deliver an incredibly exciting tournament for everyone. I hope everyone thoroughly enjoys the competition, and I look forward to hopefully returning to Hong Kong soon to put on a great show for you all in the future.”

American Jenson Brooksby has been named as a late replacement, and the world No 57 will now face China’s Zhang Zhizhen in Tuesday’s quarter-finals.

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