Raducanu seeding setback for SW19

EMMA RADUCANU has pulled out of next week's Berlin Open to manage her “annoying” back problem in the build-up to Wimbledon.

- BY NEIL McLEMAN

And the British No.1, who now has little hope of getting a seeding at her home Grand Slam event, is still planning to play in Eastbourne in the week before the SW19 tournament.

The former US Open champion first suffered back spasms before the Australian Open in January and again at the Strasbourg Open last month.

Raducanu, 22, needed a medical timeout (top) and took painkillers during her quarter-final defeat at the HSBC Championships on Friday.

Asked in her post-match press conference if she was a fitness doubt for Wimbledon, she admitted: “I don’t know. It's been lingering for the last few weeks, and I have had back issues before.