A wrist injury has forced the Russian tennis player Mikhail Youzhny to withdraw from the Australian Open in Melbourne, handing Poland's Lukasz Kubot a free ride into the fourth round.
The pair were scheduled to meet in the third round but Youzhny pulled out, saying his wrist was still aching after a marathon five-set match against Richard Gasquet in the opening round.
The Russian, who was seeded 20th for the first grand slam of the year, had won his second round clash with Jan Hajek but says the pain was worsening by the day and he had to pull out to avoid aggravating it.
The immediate beneficiary of Youzhny's withdrawal is Kubot, a 27-year-old making his first appearance at the Australian Open.
He made it to the third round of the U.S. Open in 2006 but this will be the first time he has made the fourth round at any grand slam. His next opponent will be Novak Djokovic or Denis Istomin.
