Wrist injury ends Del Potro defence

Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro has ruled out defending his US Open title this year after having wrist surgery. "If all goes well, I'd return after the US Open," said Del Potro, who had an operation on his troublesome right wrist in America early this month. The US Open starts on 30 August.

"The tournament is and always will be very special for me, all my life, but I don't want to rush things," the 21-year-old world No 5 said on his return to Buenos Aires.

Meanwhile, Britain's Elena Baltacha managed just three games of her second-round match at the Internationaux de Strasbourg against Anastasia Rodionova yesterday before being forced to retire. Baltacha was 2-1 up in the first set when she called a halt to proceedings because of a back injury.