BRISBANE, Australia(AP) Two days after tearfully pulling out of the WTA Championships with a serious back injury she thought could keep her out of the Australian Open, Dinara Safina is entering the Brisbane International.
On Wednesday in Doha, Safina lasted only 13 minutes in her first round-robin match of the season-ending championships before retiring while serving at 1-1 against Jelena Jankovic. Her withdrawal meant she lost the year-end No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams.
Safina said in Doha she faced six weeks of rest before stepping back on the court, and a potentially long rehabilitation process that could see her miss the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 18. The Brisbane International runs from Jan. 3-10.