Pablo Carreno Busta, Mikhail Kukushkin out of Marrakech
Spanish tennis star Pablo Carreno Busta and Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin have both pulled out of Marrakech.
Carreno Busta, 27, was expected to make his second appearance at the tournament this year.
The 27-year-old debuted at the Marrakech event three years ago in 2016.
Back then, the Spaniard made the quarter-final before he suffered a surprise loss to Argentina's Federico Delbonis.
Carreno Busta, ranked at No. 28, last played at the beginning of February in Cordoba.
Back then, a shoulder injury forced the Spaniard to retire his round-of-16 clash to Pedro Cachin despite winning the first set 7-6 (3) 0-1.
It remains to be seen will Carreno Busta recover in time for the Monte Carlo Masters, which starts on April 14.
On the other side, 31-year-old Kukushkin won't be making his Marrakech debut this year.
World No. 44 Kukushkin last played at the Miami Masters, where he lost in the first round.
Carreno Busta and Kukushkin are set to be replaced by Spain's Pablo Andujar and German Cedric-Marcel Stebe.
Andujar, 33, had an impressive Marrakech debut last year, having won it all at the tournament after beating British rising star Kyle Edmund in the final.
Meanwhile, 28-year-old Stebe has no previous appearances on the clay of Marrakech.
The German has yet to open his 2019 campaign.
It remains to be seen will former world No. 71 Stebe play his first tournament of the 2019 season in Marrakech next week.
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2IexfNF
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