Nadal comeback delayed

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Spain�s Rafael Nadal (CP)

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Andruw Jones (CP)

MADRID, Spain -- Rafael Nadal announced Tuesday that doctors have ordered him to pull out of what was to have been his first comeback tournament after a seven-month hiatus nursing a knee injury.

The 26-year-old Spaniard said on his Facebook page that a fever caused by a stomach infection has forced him to pull out of an exhibition tournament in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 27.

"I am very disappointed that I will not be able to compete this year in Abu Dhabi," he said. "Everything had been prepared."

Nadal added that he had been very keen to return to the Middle East competition but doctors had told him his body needs rest "to fight this stomach virus."

Nadal acknowledged his withdrawal would be a disappointment to fans and the tournament, which is due to feature top-ranked Novak Djokovic and No. 3-ranked Andy Murray of Britain, but emphasized that it was not prompted by his knee injury.

"My rehab has gone well, my knee feels good and I was looking forward to competing," he said.

Nadal is now expected to make his return at the Qatar Open, which begins on Dec. 31.

The knee injury prevented Nadal from defending his Olympic singles gold at the Olympics in London, where he was supposed to be Spain's flag bearer at the opening ceremony. He also had to pull out of the U.S. Open and Spain's Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, which his teammates lost without him.

The 11-time Grand Slam winner and former top-ranked player said his knee has improved over the last two months after making frustratingly little progress during the summer.

The tournament in Abu Dhabi would have been Nadal's first competitive action since being sidelined with tendinitis in his left knee following a second-round loss to then 100th-ranked Lukas Rosol at Wimbledon in June.

Former Atlanta Brave Jones arrested

ATLANTA -- Jail records show that former Atlanta Braves star centre-fielder Andruw Jones is free on bond after being arrested in suburban Atlanta on a battery charge.

Gwinnett County Detention Center records say Jones was booked into the county jail around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday and had been released on $2,400 bond by 11 a.m.

No one was available at the Gwinnett County sheriff's office to give details about the circumstances surrounding his Christmas Day arrest.

Once one of the premier players in the big leagues, Jones broke into the majors with the Atlanta Braves in 1996 and won 10 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1998-07 as their centre fielder. He has 434 career home runs over 17 seasons in the majors.

Jones signed a $3.5 million, one-year contract with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan's Pacific League earlier this month.

Former Rangers owner dead at 75

HOUSTON -- Brad Corbett, who owned the Texas Rangers from 1974 to 1980 and wasn't afraid to regularly switch out managers, died on Christmas Eve. He was 75.

Corbett's daughter, Pamela Corbett Murrin, told The Associated Press that her father died peacefully in his sleep on Monday. She said he had not been sick recently.

"The Texas Rangers are saddened to hear of the death of Brad Corbett," the team said in a statement. "His tenure as owner was marked by a passion and drive to bring a winning team to the fans of North Texas."

At Corbett's helm, the team had six managers in six years -- four in the 1977 season alone. An article on the Rangers' website also said the team had its first four winning seasons under Corbett and finished second in the AL West three times.

"The spirit in which Mr. Corbett served as owner of the Rangers will be remembered always," the team statement said.

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 26, 2012 C8