BIRMINGHAM, England -- A tearful Anna Kournikova withdrew from a Wimbledon warmup tournament Monday after aggravating a back injury.

	Kournikova

Kournikova, who hasn't played a WTA Tour event in two months, had been practicing for the grass-court DFS Classic.

The Russian has a chronic back injury and also will not play in next week's tournament at Eastbourne, said Chris Shaw, a spokesman for Britain's Lawn Tennis Association.

Her status was uncertain for Wimbledon, which begins June 23.

"I'm very disappointed, actually devastated, not to be able to play in Birmingham," she said. "Grass is my favorite surface and I love playing in England. So having to pull out because of my back is the last thing I wanted."

She said these are the same problems she's had since the Australian Open, and the back pain cause discomfort in "other areas."

"I've been advised not to play this week or next week and I don't know any further than that," she said.

Kournikova, who has yet to win a title on the WTA Tour, sat on a chair in the clubhouse after a 45-minute session with American coach Harold Solomon. Tears were running down her cheeks.

She had been scheduled to play Tuesday or Wednesday against Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar. Randriantefy will now face Adriana Serra Zanetti of Italy.

Kournikova has won only one of her 10 matches this year on the WTA Tour and has pulled out regularly with leg and back problems. The former Wimbledon semifinalist has slipped to a No. 77 ranking.

She hasn't played in a tour-level tournament since retiring from her opening match at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., on April 9.

Since then Kournikova entered lower-tier events in the United States. She lost to Bruna Colosio, a Brazilian ranked 384th, in the first round in Charlottesville, Va.

In a first-round match, ninth-seeded Laura Granville beat Ansley Cargill 6-2, 6-2.

Russia's Elena Dementieva holds the No. 1 seeding. Jelena Dokic is not defending her title.

Other contenders include former champion Lisa Raymond and former Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson.

Martina Navratilova is playing doubles with Australia's Alicia Molik, tuning up for a bid to equal Billie Jean King's record of 20 Wimbledon titles.