Kournikova in doubt for Wimbledon

Russian pin-up Anna Kournikova is a major doubt for Wimbledon after withdrawing from the DFS Classic grass-court tournament in Birmingham with a back injury.

The former Wimbledon semi-finalist has endured an injury-riddled season and speculation mounted over her appearance at the All England Club after she was spotted in tearful discussions with her coach Harold Solomon after a practice session at Edgbaston Priory today.

Kournikova had asked for wildcard entries to both the DFS Classic and next week’s Hastings Direct International tournament in Eastbourne in a bid to prepare for Wimbledon.

The 22-year-old glamour girl, whose world ranking has plummeted from eighth three years ago to 77th, seems destined to be best remembered for her film-star looks rather than her tennis.

In January she collected her first Grand Slam match victory in two years at the Australian Open but paid a heavy price after suffering a back strain.

She withdrew from tournaments in Memphis and Indian Wells due to the injury and in April retired from the Charleston tournament in South Carolina due to a left abductor injury.

She pulled out of the German Open and was still undergoing rehabilitation right up to last week’s French Open.