Frenchman Richard Gasquet withdrew from this week's ATP Paris Masters on Sunday because of an elbow injury. The world number 15, who was seeded 14th and was a semi-finalist here last year, will be replaced in the draw by a lucky loser. Gasquet, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year, said that he had suffered the injury at the Madrid Masters over a week ago and was a repeat of an injury he picked up in 2005.
"The injury hit me during the Madrid tournament," confessed the 22-year-old, who reached a season ending career high of number eight in the world last year. "I played at Lyon (this week where he went out in the second round) with the pain and used anti-inflammatory drugs, but now, I simply cannot play. I am obviously very disappointed." The tournament doctor said that he would need at least three weeks rest and an operation could not be ruled out.