Gasquet pulls out of Kooyong

Melbourne - Richard Gasquet withdrew from the Kooyong Classic on Tuesday prior to his opening match, denying fans an all-French showdown with Gilles Simon.

The 12-man event is no stranger to late changes in the run-up to the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.

Organisers said Gasquet, who won the Hopman Cup last weekend with Kristina Mladenovic, was suffering with an abdominal muscle strain and would not be participating in the tournament.

Simon will instead face Croatian Ivo Karlovic.