Li Na of China shook hands with Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria after withdrew with a back problem. [Source:Sina.com] |
French Open champion Li Na retired with a sore back against Tsvetana Pironkova in the second set of her opening match Tuesday at the Open GDF Suez.
Third-seeded Li threw in the towel when she was 7-6 3-2 down. Li had called on the trainer earlier to treat back pain.
"It was so painful," Li said. "That's why I called the physio to come to the court. I tried to tape and then tried to play the point, but it didn't work. I'll go to the hospital to take an MRI to see what happened."
Li stormed back from a 5-0 deficit to force a tiebreaker, but her double fault at 3-2 gave Pironkova a mini-break. The unseeded Bulgarian won the first set on a forehand error from Li before taking a 3-1 lead in the second.
Former world number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia also pulled out, citing a thigh strain.
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