Tennis: Former world number one Safina to retire

MADRID - Former world number one and Olympic silver medallist Dinara Safina announced on Tuesday that she is to retire, Russia's tennis federation press service reported.

The report said that the 12 WTA titles winner Safina will participate in the award ceremony of the WTA Madrid Open tournament, where she has won one of her titles in 2009.

Safina's farewell ceremony will also take place in Madrid.

"Of course I decided to quit much earlier," the press service quoted Safina as saying.

"I decided to withdraw from any official announcements until now as I was still hoping to overcome my back injury. But this moment has finally come.

"I played the last professional tournament of my career here in Madrid and that's why I think it's the best place for me to quit the game."

The sister of two-time Grand Slam champion Marat Safin, the 28-year-old hasn't played in three years due to an ongoing back injury.