Hingis withdraws from the Italian Open

Rome -- Martina Hingis has withdrawn from next week's Italian Open Tennis Tournament in Rome because of a lingering back injury.

The ailment affected the former world No. 1 player Thursday in a 6-4, 6-0 loss to 13th-seeded Patty Schnyder in the third round of German Open in Berlin.

"I've got to make a decision soon on what to do about my future," she said after her loss in a posting on the WTA Tour's Web site. "I will have to see how it goes (but) I don't have a lot of time. I haven't felt my best physically for a couple of weeks now, and I need to work on that."

Hingis also has a hip ailment.

"I haven't been able to do much conditioning work and I was missing the strength."

She admitted that she might not be back in time for the French Open, which starts May 28.

The French Open is the only Grand Slam the 26-year-old Hingis has never won.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.