from ABC Sport
27 July 2004

Juan Carlos Ferrero’s Toronto Masters campaign ended in agony overnight when he was forced to retire from his opening round match because of a back injury.

The Spanish seventh seed was trailing 2-3 in the first set against Frenchman Fabrice Santoro when he quit after treatment from an ATP trainer failed to cure the problem.

“I hit a return and I started to feel it,” Ferrero told reporters.

“When I was serving I felt I couldn’t still play.”

Ferrero, who missed a month of competition after being diagnosed with chicken pox in March, did not know how serious his injury was.

“I hope to be ready for Cincinnati, but I don’t know,” he said, referring to next month’s Masters tournament before the US Open, the year’s final grand slam.

Ferrero, last year’s French Open champion, has endured a miserable season plagued by injuries, failing to win a title in 2004.