Tearful Safina retires with back injury

Eurosport - Wed, 28 Oct 13:58:00 2009

Top seed Dinara Safina was forced to retire injured after just two games of her WTA Championships clash against Jelena Jankovic.

Russia's Dinara Safina reacts after she retired during her WTA Tour Championships tennis match against Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, REUTERS - 0

Safina, who has been struggling with a back injury for some time, broke down in floods of tears during her second service game before immediately walking to the chair and ending the white group contest and her tournament.

"It's my low back, I have inflammation there in the bone," 23-year-old Safina said.

"I've been playing on in pain, on anti-inflammatories, on everything. It's been about three months. My body just gave up.

"I did everything possible to play here. I went yesterday to put injections, cortisone, but I could not handle this pain any more.

"I think I should have taken a break after the US Open but I was chasing this number one, so I was fighting with my body.

"Maybe I had to stop after the US Open."

The result puts Jankovic firmly back into contention for a semi-final berth in Doha, after her tournament had been left hanging by a thread with an opening day loss to Victoria Azarenka.

The Russian's withdrawal from the tournament handed the end-of-year world number one ranking to Serena Williams, who is in the maroon group in Doha. Williams needed to better Safina during the tournament to finish in the top spot.

First alternate Vera Zvonareva, who, along with Agnieszka Radwanska, travelled to Doha in case of injury withdrawals, will replace Safina in the white group.

Safina, who was biding to become the first Russian to end the year as world number one, also cast doubts on her schedule for the beginning of the new season in January, suggesting her back injury may take longer than two months to heal.

"It's under question the beginning of next year," she said. "When I speak to the doctors it doesn't sound so nice. So it's possible that I might not be 100 percent fit for the Australian Open. Maybe I'll have to skip it."

"At this stage my health is more important. Until I recover fully, until my back is recovered and I can feel that I have no pain, no fear, then I'll not play.

"Definitely there is no surgery. It's just time. This is going to be a very long procedure."

Watch the WTA Championships LIVE from Doha from 2pm on Thursday on British Eurosport (Sky 410 / Virgin Media 521); Also available on your PC via the Eurosport Player - click on the link under the picture to subscribe.

Pippa Davis / Eurosport

Comment 15 - 34 of 34

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. Yet another pretender left broken and battered by Queen­ Serena.
    LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

    From jay, on Thu 29 Oct 3:29PM

  2. the time is running out for safina.
    23 years old en­ still noo grandslams,..
    she will never get as many­ grandslams @#$% each one off the williams sisters.
    she­ already too old with having non grandslams,..!!!

    From Mootje M, on Thu 29 Oct 3:02PM

  3. Safina is just 23 yrs old. Time is in her favour - she­ still has chance to win as many grand slams as she­ wants.

    From Frederick, on Thu 29 Oct 1:45PM

  4. oh boy, not just working for safina is it? maybe she­ 's not supposed to be No. 1. i hope she'll be­ fit for 2019. good luck dinara.

    From Ten-Ten, on Thu 29 Oct 12:49PM
  5. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Yet another pretender left broken and battered by Queen­ Serena.
    LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!

    From jay, on Thu 29 Oct 12:37PM

  6. get well soon safina, maybe you need to look at another­ target next year, you have been number1, look to­ getting that slam title now and make some sensible­ choices as to how many tournaments you enter.

    From anthony, on Thu 29 Oct 12:24PM

  7. Get Well Soon Dinara Safina.

    From Kem-One, on Thu 29 Oct 11:10AM

  8. I'm a Serena fan & alot of you guys fail to­ understand that Safina DOESN'T have to win a Major­ to be No 1. Dont you guys understand how this thing­ works yet??? I KNOW that Safina ISN'T a better­ player than Serena BUT its not Serena's ability­ that gives her the right to be NO 1. POINTS DO. So­ until you understand that points are earned by working­ hard, entering tournaments & doing well in them you­ will gain points. This should tell you how hard Safina­ has worked to be No 1. So for those who are laughing at­ Safina now because of her back, you need your teeth­ kicked out. Safina to me is a hard worker &­ she's earnt it. Leave her alone & deal with­ c.unts like "zuberman" who talk about race­ all the time. He's never seen a sexy size 12/14­ woman before. LITTLE BOY

    From Kem-One, on Thu 29 Oct 10:57AM

  9. #28 - I hope you never have to suffer back pain like­ this (although maybe you would be more sympathetic if­ you did). Get well Dinara and come back to win more­ championships and several GS.

    From chrystal_rainbow, on Thu 29 Oct 10:39AM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    Safina knows how to bow to pressure. This back injury­ is another cover up. She is to compete with the rest of­ the best 8 in the women's world of tennis. She­ chickened out as a result of the fear of loosing. She­ is always a looser and can only play well in Slovenia­ where the top 10 are not competing. This is the reason­ she has never won GS when all the big top 10 are there­ to compete with her. Now tell me any top 10 Safina she­ has beaten? None.. Humuliated by Venus 2009 wimbledon ,­ battered by Serena at Ao and battered in RG by­ Svetlana. All have lined up for her to show up. she is­ now injured.. a good excuse? no wta warned her to­ chickened out and concentrate on how to dethrone serena­ in wta tours.. She just showing off with croccodile­ tears! no emotions, just Russian Roulettee

    From Augustine A, on Thu 29 Oct 10:01AM

  11. This is a lesson, Safina should have taken a break­ after the US Open as she admitted. So what if she is­ not number one? All the injections and therapy was not­ enough. I wish her speedy recovery. She should hold her­ head high because even though she didnt win any grand­ slam, she didnt get to No. 1 by chance..

    From Ogina

    From Ogina, on Thu 29 Oct 9:20AM

  12. I felt so bad yesterday, when I saw Dinara resign...­ but I'm sure she'll fell betten for Australian­ Open!
    Good luck dear!

    From Daisy, on Thu 29 Oct 8:25AM

  13. Zuberman should seek help.

    From cool, on Thu 29 Oct 6:08AM

  14. This is heartbreaking,like what happened to ana­ ivan0vic. My heart goes out to her wish that she wil­ hve a speedy recovery, get well dinara. I knw smday u­ wil ol prove them wr0ng,u are n01 in my eyes...

    From Cristina N, on Thu 29 Oct 4:15AM
  15. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    What a shame!!!! for Safina.The WTA try to show and­ convince the world that you are the no:1,but didn't­ really help you to be the no:1 we all know why are you­ in the top. Destiny shows who is the real no:1 hope the­ WTA will learn their lesson about this,

    From ellen v, on Thu 29 Oct 3:19AM

  16. so sad.. recuperate safina and be back for next year.­ it would benefit you more if you were not the no.1. i­ am hoping you will win your first grandslam next year.

    From Miro*, on Thu 29 Oct 1:54AM

  17. Yvonne what's so funny??? lol

    From akins55, on Wed 28 Oct 11:45PM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    hahahahahaha :)

    From Yvonne, on Wed 28 Oct 11:31PM

  19. Well, all my wishes to Dinara, such a poor nice girl.­ Hope she will come back strong and not too @#$% herself­ as always. She needs to learn how to involve her Head­ better when playing a match. A case like Lorenzo,­ rookies have time to learn. Still, all yo haters­ can't take nothing away from her.

    From akins55, on Wed 28 Oct 11:27PM
  20. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    finally VaJJ won convincingly....

    From Ray V, on Wed 28 Oct 10:02PM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account