Safina’s No.1 dream ends in pain

* Safina’s dream ends in pain

* Russian forced out by back injury (adds details, quotes)

By Martyn Herman

DOHA, Oct 28 (Reuters) - Dinara Safina’s dream of becoming the first Russian to end the year as world number one was left in tatters on Wednesday when her aching body finally gave out at the WTA Championships.

The 23-year-old, who arrived in Doha ahead of 11-times grand slam champion Serena Williams in the rankings, managed just two games in her opening round-robin match against Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic before a lower back injury flared up and she was forced to quit in tears.

Shortly afterwards she confirmed she would be unable to take any further part in the tournament, meaning Williams, courtesy of her group victory over Svetlana Kuznetsova on Tuesday, was guaranteed ending the year as the No.1—the first time she has done that since 2002.

Safina, who has been criticised for her failure to land a grand slam title, said she first injured her back in Slovenia in July but has battled on in pain to protect top spot, a position she held for 25 consecutive weeks this year.

“It’s my low back, I have inflammation there in the bone,” Safina, sister of former men’s number one Marat, told reporters.

“I’ve been playing on in pain, on anti-inflammatories, on everything. It’s been about three months.

“But as I was chasing this number one I was fighting with my body. God knows, maybe I should have stopped after the U.S. Open.

“I was still hoping, but then my body just gave up. And here, I did everything possible to play. I went yesterday to put injections, cortisone, but I could not handle this pain.”

HECTIC SCHEDULE

Safina refused to blame the hectic schedule on the WTA Tour but said she may have to miss the Australian Open in January.

“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.”

Safina said she did not expect to need surgery on the problem, which she descried as the beginning of a small fracture in one of her lower vertebrae.

“At this stage my health is more important,” she said. “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.”

Safina’s last two matches in White Group will be contested by first alternate Vera Zvonareva, also from Russia.

(Editing by Ed Osmond; to query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)