World number-two tennis player Rafael Nadal of Spain has pulled out of next month's Chennai Open tournament in India because he still has not fully recovered from a foot injury.
Organizers say the 2005 French Open champion will be replaced in the draw by Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic.
Ljubicic is ranked ninth in the world and got a wild card entry into the event, which begins January second in Chennai, also known as Madras.
The loss of Nadal is a big blow to the tournament, which is also raising funds for tsunami victims in southern India. However, Nadal says he is donating $25,000 to the Tamil Nadu state government's main relief fund.
Some information for this report provided by AP.
