Li Na retires with sore back in Paris

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PARIS -- French Open champion Li Na retired with a sore back against Tsvetana Pironkova in the second set of her opening match Tuesday at the Open GDF Suez.

Third-seeded Li took a medical timeout while trailing 7-6 (5), 3-2 to have her lower back massaged, and she played a few more points before retiring.

"It was so painful," Li said. "That's why I called the physio to come to the court. I tried to tape and then tried to play the point, but it didn't work. I'll go to the hospital to take an MRI to see what happened."

Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic withdrew Tuesday because of a left thigh strain she suffered last week in Serbia's 3-2 win over Belgium in the Fed Cup.

"I was playing against (Kirsten) Flipkens and during one point in the second set, I felt a really sharp pain, but I managed to finish the match," Jankovic said.

Li rallied from a 5-0 deficit to force a tiebreaker, but she double-faulted at 3-2 to give Pironkova a mini-break. The unseeded Bulgarian won the first set on a forehand error from Li before taking a 3-1 lead in the second.

"I played last week in the Fed Cup in Israel, I played some good matches, which helped for my form and for my confidence," Pironkova said. "So I felt pretty good coming here, and I'm glad I could show it on the court today against such a world-class player."

Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic, Petra Martic of Croatia and Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa also advanced to the second round along with three German players -- Julia Goerges, Angelique Kerber and Mona Barthel.

Goerges cruised past Shahar Peer of Israel 6-1, 6-3. Kerber beat Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 7-6 (3).

Kerber, the U.S. Open semifinalist, won five straight points to lead 5-1 in the tiebreaker, clinching victory when Safarova's backhand return sailed long. Barthel eased past Barbora Zahlavova Strycova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2.

Cetkovska defeated Italian lucky loser Alberta Brianti 6-3, 6-3, Martic beat Greta Arn of Hungary, 6-4, 6-4 and Scheepers ousted Polona Hercog of Slovenia 6-2, 6-2.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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