Frustrated Safina at a loss after latest setback

Dinara Safina is still waiting to find out the extent of her latest back injury after retiring from her singles quarterfinal in Marbella on Friday. On Saturday, Safina and Agnes Szavay stopped at 3-2 in the first set of their doubles match, through the tournament said the retirement was due to an injury to Szavay.

"It's very sad," a frustrated Safina said about her injury on her Twitter account. "Now I'll have to wait for my doctor and gonna decide what I'm gonna do... I don't know anymore what to think or to do."

It has been almost a year since Safina returned to the tour after a three-month layoff for a chronic back injury, but she has continued to experience problems. She retired from her singles quarterfinal against Victoria Azarenka in Marbella on Friday when her back flared up again, but decided to try to compete in doubles after MRI tests proved encouraging.

"They were ok, nothing too serious," she said, but added that there was also a psychological component to the injury. "I got stuck with my back but mostly is that I got very afraid once I felt some [p]ain."

The setback comes just as the former world No. 1 was starting to win matches consistently once again. After losing her first three matches of the year, including a 6-0, 6-0 defeat to Kim Clijsters in the first round of Australia, she reached the quarterfinals in Indian Wells and took Vera Zvonareva to three sets in the second round of Miami before also reaching the quarterfinals in Marbella.

"Tomorrow going to Madrid to see my doctor and probably will have to do again some check," she said.