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Munich - French second seed Gael Monfils was on Wednesday forced to pull out of Munich's ATP clay-court tournament for the third year in a row with injury.
Monfils, 29, suffered a groin injury while training in Munich on Wednesday and hopes to be able to recover in time for the French Open, which starts on May 22.
"Apparently, I have bad luck here," said Monfils, with his place in the second round now going to lucky loser Jozef Kovalik of Slovakia, who will play the Netherlands' Igor Sijsling.
"I hope it's not a tear, or it will be a close thing for the French Open."
In 2014, Monfils had to pull out of the Munich tournament with an ankle injury, while last year he had to retire with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, unseasonal snow showers and wintry weather has been affecting the players at the Munich tournament.
Eighth seed Alexander Zverev had to finish his first-round match on Wednesday after snow and rain cut his match on Tuesday evening short, before he eventually beat Tunisia's Malek Jaziri 4-6, 6-3, 6-2.
"We shouldn't have even been allowed to start the match," complained the 19-year-old Zverev, who is based in Florida, and will now face Lukas Rosol of the Czech Republic in the second round.
With last year's champion Andy Murray absent in Munich, top seed David Goffin of Belgium will open his campaign on Thursday with a second-round match against Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic.
Collated results from the ATP Munich Open on Wednesday:
First round
Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN x7) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-2
Fabio Fognini (ITA x5) bt Maximilian Marterer (GER) 6-3, 6-1
Victor Estrella (DOM) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 7-5, 6-2
Alexander Zverev (GER x8) bt Malek Jaziri (TUN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Igor Sijsling (NED) bt Marco Cecchinato (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Juan Martin Del Porto (ARG) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4
Second round
Dominic Thiem (AUT x3) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 7-5, 6-4
Ivan Dodig (CRO) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA x6) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
