Ancic to miss U.S. Open with illness

NEW YORK, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- A bout with mononucleosis will cause Croatia's Mario Ancic to miss the U.S. Open tennis tournament for the third straight year.

Ancic, 24, has not played at the event since 2005, when he suffered a second-round exit.

The 25th-ranked men's player and 2004 Wimbledon semifinalist missed last year's open with a shoulder injury and skipped the 2006 tournament after suffering from back problems.

The 6-foot-5 inch Ancic was a quarterfinalist at this year's Wimbledon, has a 28-13 singles record and his earnings this season total $536,300.

He joins compatriots Ivan Ljubicic and Ivo Karlovic on the sidelines.

On Saturday, Ljubicic, a former Olympic bronze medal winner, and Karlovic both withdrew from their scheduled appearances at the 2008 Beijing Olympics with injuries.