Kournikova withdraws from Wimbledon

Kournikova hasn't played in a tour-level tournament since retiring from her opening match at the Family Circle Cup on April 9. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Anna Kournikova has pulled out of Wimbledon because of a back injury.

The Wimbledon referee's office said Monday the Russian had notified the All England Club of her withdrawal on Friday. The tournament begins June 23.

On Monday, No. 4 Carlos Moya of Spain and Tommy Haas of Germany withdrew with unspecified injuries.

A tearful Kournikova withdrew from the DFS Classic grass-court tournament in Birmingham last week after aggravating her injury in practice.

Kournikova, a Wimbledon semifinalist in 1997, has won only one of 10 matches this year on the WTA Tour and withdrawn from a series of tournaments with leg and back problems. She has slipped to No. 77 in the rankings.

Norman considers WD STOCKHOLM, June 17 (Reuters) -- Thomas Johansson withdrew from Wimbledon, and fellow Swede Magnus Norman is likely to follow suit. Johansson has recovered from a knee operation he had in February but will not be fit enough to play in the event. Norman is ailing from a back injury. "The way things feel right now, I won't be playing at Wimbledon," he told Swedish news agency TT.

Kournikova hasn't played in a tour-level tournament since retiring from her opening match at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., on April 9.

Moya lost in the French Open quarterfinals in five sets to eventual champion Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Haas, who had surgery on his right shoulder in December, missed the French Open and last week's Wimbledon tuneup in Halle, Germany.

Other players who have withdrawn from Wimbledon include former champion Goran Ivanisevic, Monica Seles and former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson.

 

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