AUCKLAND--The Auckland Open continued to lose its main drawcards Wednesday as Spain's Tommy Robredo pulled out with an injury and top seed Ernests Gulbis was eliminated by a qualifier.
Robredo became the fourth seeded player to withdraw from the warm-up event for next week's Australian Open without hitting a ball, saying he had strained a muscle in the gym.
"I wouldn't be able to play good and the people would be disappointed, also it could make me worse for next week," the world number 17 said.
"It's sad for me... but sometimes it is what it is."
Robredo joins world number 10 David Ferrer (back strain), defending champion John Isner (tiredness), French livewire Gael Monfils (personal reasons) in quitting the tournament.
The remaining seeds fared little better on the court, with world number 13 Gulbis of Latvia-- the top ranked player in Ferrer's absence -- succumbing 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 to Czech qualifier Jiri Vesely.
The tournament also lost world number 15 Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain, who only managed to play 40 minutes before retiring hurt, giving Frenchman Adrian Mannarino a 6-2, 2-1 armchair ride to the quarter-finals.
Last year's finalist Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan departed after a meek 6-2, 6-4 loss to Albert Ramos of Spain.
Big-serving South African Kevin Anderson is the only top 20 player left in the draw after he beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 7-6 (8/6), 6-1.
AFP
