Injured Hewitt pulls out of Rotterdam

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb 20 (Reuters) Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt withdrew from the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam today.

The seventh-seeded Australian strained a hamstring last week in Marseille during his second-round match against eventual winner Gilles Simon.

Hewitt had been due to play France's Gael Monfils in the first round of the tournament.

After his third round exit against Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in the Australian Open, Hewitt played two singles for his country in their Davis Cup defeat to Belgium.

''In the Davis Cup I played my best tennis in a long period, even on my less favourite surface clay,'' Hewitt told reporters.

''Therefore I was looking forward to playing Marseille and Rotterdam, and even after I sustained the injury I asked tournament director Richard Krajicek for a start on Wednesday,'' he added.

''I have done everything in my power to be fit in time, but even with three treatments a day the injury did not improve enough.'' Hewitt, who won the tournament in 2004 after beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final, promised Krajicek he will play Rotterdam next year.

REUTERS SAM RK2106