Perth, Australia - Hospital scans have revealed that German Nicolas Kiefer suffered ligament damage during a match injury on Thursday at the Hopman Cup but could still pull up fit for the Australian Open beginning January 19.

Doctors who treated the 31-year-old expressed cautious optimism that the former number four might just be able to make it to the first Grand Slam date of the 2009 season from January 19.

Perth, Australia  - Nicolas Kiefer was taken off in a wheelchair on Thursday, victim of a freak ankle injury as Slovakia reached the final of the eight-nation team competition when Germany could not go on.

Kiefer, 31, was watching a return from Dominik Hrbaty sail out over the baseline when he put his weight wrongly on his right ankle and crumbled to the court at the Burswood Dome.

The German, leading 3-1 and with advantage in the fifth game, lay there in pain until he was taken away for treatment.