Berrettini, a 2021 Wimbledon finalist, withdraws from the Australian Open with a foot injury

FILE - Matteo Berrettini of Italy during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament, Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023, in New York. Berrettini has withdrawn from his first round match at the Australian Open, Monday Jan 15, 2024, against Stefan's Tsitsipas due to injury. (AP Photo/Vera Nieuwenhuis.File)
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MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Matteo Berrettini withdrew from the Australian Open on Sunday on the eve his scheduled first-round match because of foot injury, another setback for the Wimbledon runner-up in 2021.

Berrettini, a 2022 semifinalist at Melbourne Park, was due to play 2023 finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas on Rod Laver Arena on Monday.

“Matteo Berrettini has withdrawn from the Australian Open with a right foot injury,” tournament organizers said in a statement. “Wishing you a quick recovery.”

Zizou Bergs, a lucky loser from qualifying, was elevated to the main draw to face seventh-seeded Tsitsipas.

The 27-year-old Berrettini had a run of ailments in 2023, including an early end to his season when he was forced to withdraw from his second-round match at the U.S. Open after injuring an ankle.

He also missed several weeks with a tear in an oblique muscle, and had dropped to No. 125 in the ATP rankings from a career-high No. 6.

His best Grand Slam result was at Wimbledon in 2021, where he lost the final to Novak Djokovic.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis