SYDNEY, Dec 27: Marat Safin is unlikely to defend his Australian Open title because of a knee injury, tournament director Paul McNamee said on Tuesday. Safin has not played since August and is facing a race against time to be ready for the Australian Open, starting at Melbourne Park on Jan. 16.

The Russian announced his withdrawal from the Hopman Cup, one of the lead-up events for the Open, in a statement on his website.

“Not playing this tournament, which was an important part of his preparation for Melbourne, certainly puts him behind the eight ball,” McNamee told reporters on Tuesday.

“There is certainly a big question mark over his participation in the Open.”

Safin won his first Australian Open this year, beating Roger Federer in the semi-finals then coming from a set down to defeat Lleyton Hewitt in the final.

He has been plagued by knee trouble since tearing a ligament at Wimbledon and has not played since the Cincinnati Masters Series in August.

McNamee said he was still waiting on news about Spain’s French Open champion Rafael Nadal after the world number two withdrew from the Indian Open in Chennai.

Nadal told organisers he was pulling out of next week’s season-opening event because of a foot injury that forced him to miss the Masters Cup..—Reuters