Knee pain forces Cilic to withdraw from Madrid

A knee complaint that has troubled Marin Cilic since Monte Carlo last month has forced the Croatian to withdraw from the Madrid Open.

Marin Cilic has withdrawn from next week's Madrid Open due to knee pain.

There was no honeymoon period for the newly married world number four at the Istanbul Open on Thursday as he suffered a shock 6-4 6-2 second-round defeat to Malek Jaziri.

Cilic did not take time off his schedule after getting married to long-term girlfriend Kristina Milkovic last weekend, but an issue dating back to last month's Monte Carlo Masters – where he was beaten in the quarter-finals by Kei Nishikori – has forced the Croatian to skip the Masters tournament in the Spanish capital.

"I'm sorry to share that I won't be playing at the Madrid Open due to knee pains," Cilic posted on Twitter. 

"I began feeling sharp knee pain back in Monaco and while I'm eager to compete, my team and I decided the best option is to pause and focus on rehab. 

"Thank you for your understanding and support."