Wrist injury rules Monfils out for up to six weeks

Gael Monfils has been ruled out for up to six weeks with a left wrist injury, meaning he is likely to miss the first round of France's Davis Cup clash with Austria next month.

Monfils reached the semi-finals of the ATP tournament here Friday however tournament organisers announced soon afterwards the French number two seed, who is ranked 12th in the world, had pulled out.

A statement on the organisers' website, www.sapopentennis.com, said: "SAP Open number two seed Gael Monfils was forced to withdraw from the semifinals due to left wrist injury (inflammation) and has also withdrawn from Memphis, Acapulco and Davis Cup.

"He will be out for four to six weeks and hopes to return for Indian Wells."

Monfils, who has a reputation for being plagued by injury, is right-handed. However his injury prevents him from playing his two-handed backhand effectively.

"It's been a month and a half that I've had this pain," the Frenchman added on the website.

"I can't hit my backhand. I tried, but my backhand is very soft. I have a better backhand than I showed here - more powerful."

The setback handed Canadian Milos Raonic, Monfils's semi-final opponent, a place in the final where he will meet either Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina or Spanish top seed Fernando Verdasco.

Monfils had been competing this week in a bid to fine tune preparations for the Davis Cup tie on March 4-6 in Vienna.