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Rafter to undergo shoulder surgery
Posted: Friday October 22, 1999 01:15 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Two-time U.S. Open champion Pat Rafter will undergo surgery Sunday to repair a damaged shoulder, but is hoping to recover in time to play in the Australian Open in January. Rafter said Friday that he decided to have surgery after the torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder failed to heal. He's been plagued by the injury for the past six months and he was unable to defend his U.S. Open title. The Australian also missed the semifinal of the Davis Cup against Russia. He has ruled himself out of the final against France in December. Rafter said at a press conference that he made the wrong decision in delaying surgery, hoping the shoulder would mend itself. He said he and his trainer Mark Waters thought they were doing the right thing but "obviously we haven't." "We probably took the wrong step but now we're going to try and get ready for the Australian circuit," he said. "I've played some tough tennis over the past few months and really haven't given myself a good rest. "The Davis Cup is definitely out -- it's gone. The Australian Open is the reason why we are going into this thing right now." He said if he's slow to recover from surgery he won't take any risks in returning too early to the men's tennis tour. "The Australian circuit would hurt for me to miss but if I'm not ready to come back, I won't be coming back," he said.
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