Henman out of Australian Open

Tim Henman has pulled out of this month‘s Australian Open after suffering an injury to his right knee.

The 32-year-old British number two requires 10 days‘ rest and will not be ready for the first grand slam of the year which gets under way in Melbourne on January 15.

Henman has not played since October, when he jarred a knee which is thought to have flared up two weeks ago.

“Although my back is absolutely fine, there are other parts that can be vulnerable if I don’t move right,” Henman told the Times.

“I just tweaked the lower part of the hamstring tendon behind the knee and it needs rest. I would have loved to have played in Australia, getting a bit of sun on my back, but it gives me a few more weeks to prepare for the year and I intend to hit the ground running in February.”