Davenport withdraws from Miami tournament

MIAMI, Mar 21 (Reuters) Fifth-ranked Lindsay Davenport has withdrawn from the NASDAQ-100 Open due to a back injury.

''I am very disappointed to have to withdraw from the NASDAQ-100 Open because of an injury that I sustained to my back this past week,'' Davenport said in a statement today.

''I was hoping to recover in time but unfortunately I'm not yet ready to play competitively.'' Davenport, the tournament's runner-up in 2000, hurt her back at last week's event in Indian Wells.

The tournament begins tomorrow.

REUTERS DH RAI0014