Berrettini withdraws from Australian Open ahead of scheduled De Minaur match

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Former Wimbledon runner-up Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the Australian Open on Saturday with an oblique injury.

The 56th-ranked Italian was scheduled to face sixth-seeded Australian Alex De Minaur in the first round.

“Decisions like this are never easy, but unfortunately I once again felt discomfort in my obliques and I was not ready to perform at my best in Group 5,” Berrettini wrote on Instagram. “It’s painful because playing in Australia has always been special and after 4 weeks of intense training I’m excited and ready to move on.”

Berrettini had to withdraw from an exhibition game on Friday night but was reportedly ill at the time.

Mackenzie McDonald replaced Berrettini as the lucky loser in the draw after losing to Canadian Liam Draxl in the final qualifying round.