Olympic champion Monica Puig withdraws from Cincinnati
Puig withdrew from Cincinnati Masters tournament, citing a lower back injury
CINCINNATI, Aug 14, 2016 (AFP) - Olympic gold medalist Monica Puig withdrew on Sunday from the ATP-WTA Tour Cincinnati Masters tournament, citing a lower back injury.
The Puerto Rican who made history for her island nation by winning the country s first-ever gold medal with her 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 defeat of German Angelique Kerber in the Saturday final.
Puig, ranked 34th, was unseeded at the Cincinnati tournament which is the last major tune-up prior to the start of the US Open on August 29. The pullout came less than 24 hours after her Rio success.
On Saturday, bronze medalist Petra Kvitova withdrew with an injury.
The BBC reported that Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal were to share a private jet Sunday night from Rio after Murray s Olympic final, indicating that both men will soldier on to Cincinnati despite heavy Olympic exertions in multiple events.
Murray owns two titles at the US midwest venue from 2008 and 2011; Nadal won it in 2013.
Sunday rain made a hash of qualifying rounds, with one of two men s ATP first-round matches cancelled as play was interrupted in the afternoon by weather.
Alexandr Dolgopolov, who reached the semi-final a year ago from a qualifying start, was to have faced South African Kevin Anderson in a match wiped out for the day.
Officials were hoping that they could start the ATP competition later with Croatian Borna Coric facing Frenchman Benoit Paire.
