After being tearfully pulling out of the WTA Championships with a serious back injury, Dinara Safina has entered the Brisbane International . Safina said Wednesday in Doha that 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. She said, " I am looking forward to the challenge and I cannot wait to get there.” After stopping play in the third game, Safina, in tears, walked over to her chair and covered her face with a towel before retiring. She said one of the discs in her lower back was “starting to fracture,” and that she has been dealing with the pain for three months. Safina is a fighter and I know she is really looking forward to returning to Queensland. I have no doubt she will be here in January.
