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Monday, June 17
 
Corretja cites injury; Haas' parents in crash

Reuters

LONDON -- Spain's Alex Corretja and Germany's Tommy Haas have become the latest players to withdraw from next week's Wimbledon Championships.

Corretja, the former world no. 2 is citing a skin infection as the reason for his absence. Haas, the fifth seed. has withdrawn from the tournament to stay in Florida with his parents who were injured in a road accident earlier this month.

Peter and Brigitte Haas are in hospital after they were hit by a car while on a motorcycle on June 8 in Sarasota.

Haas' father is still in critical condition. His mother is in fair condition and hopes to be released soon from hospital, spokeswoman Linda Dozoretz said in a statement.

"Wimbledon, with its tradition and prestige, has always been a special event, but my place is with my family during these difficult times," the 24-year-old Haas said in the statement.

"This is a critical time for my parents, and I need to be at their side."

His parents, both 54, were visiting from their home in Germany at the time of the accident.

Corretja had been due to play a warm-up event at Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire this week, but organizers of the Boodle and Dunthorne Champions Challenge said on Monday the Spaniard had pulled out.

"I am very sorry to have to withdraw from the event as I was looking forward to receiving the perfect preparation for Wimbledon," a statement released by the player from his home in Barcelona said.

"But the infection has become worse and therefore I will not be able to play Wimbledon either."

Currently ranked 29th in the world, but ranked as high as number two in 1999, Corretja has played Wimbledon just three times in the last decade.

He was a first round loser on his last appearance in 1998 and lost in the second round in 1996 and 1994.

Two years Corretja and close friend Albert Costa withdrew on the eve of Wimbledon claiming it was unfair they had not been seeded because they had proved themselves over 12 months on surfaces other than grass.

The seeding committee decided their lack of success on grass meant they should not be seeded.

Last year Corretja was at the fore of a pressure group of top claycourters which forced Wimbledon to scrap the seeding committee and use the world rankings to seed players in line with other grand slam events.

Having threatened to boycott Wimbledon over the seeding issue, Corretja eventually pulled out hours before the draw citing a leg injury.

Corretja joins France's Sebastien Grosjean, defending champion Goran Ivanisevic, Spaniard Carlos Moya and French Open winner Costa on the sidelines of the grass-court Grand Alam event.




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