THE SIDELINES : Pat Cash Sidelined Until January

Pat Cash of Australia said today he needs more time to recover from an Achilles’ tendon injury and will not return to the pro tennis tour until just before the Australian Open in January.

Cash, once ranked in the top 10 but now about 500th, has been off the circuit since April’s Suntory Cup event in Japan where he suffered the Achilles injury.

He was expected to return for the Hopman Cup in late December in Perth, but he now hopes to compete in the Rio Invitational the week prior to the Australian Open in Melbourne, the first Grand Slam event of 1990.

“The injury is certainly taking longer than hoped,” said Cash. “I’ll still go to Perth to watch the tournament and practice, but the injury is not going to be healed sufficiently in time for the Cup.”