Melbourne, Jan 10 (IANS): US Open champion Croatian Marin Cilic Saturday withdrew from the Australian Open tennis tournament, starting Jan 19, with a shoulder injury.
"I have a right shoulder injury which has hampered me for some time now," Cilic said in a statement Saturday.
Cilic beat Kei Nishikori to win his first Grand Slam title in September last year. The 26-year-old was struggling with a right shoulder problem for more than a month and skipped the Brisbane International tennis tournament.
"I am really sad that I won't be able to participate in Melbourne, especially after winning the last Grand Slam in New York," said Cilic.
"But I was advised by doctors to be careful as much as possible to avoid even more serious problems. It is improving day by day, but I still don't feel fit enough to be able to compete at the highest level."