BRISBANE: Fourth seed Caroline Garcia lef t the court in tears af ter a lower back injury forced the Frenchwoman to retire f rom her first round match against Alize Cornet at the Brisbane International on Sunday.

Garcia, who enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2017 when she reached a career-high world ranking of eight, took the first set 6-3 with relative ease.

But the 24-year-old, who struggled with a back injury last season, began to struggle with her service game and Cornet stuck back to take the second set by the same score to force the decider in the all-French encounter.

Garcia then called for the trainer and had extensive treatment for a lower back problem. She returned to the court but af ter one serve retired in tears, handing 2017 runner-up Cornet a ticket to the second round.

`I`ve always had some issues with my back,` Garcia told reporters. `At the beginning of the match I felt a pain in my lower back and it was different than it is normally. It was getting worse and worse and in the end I couldn`t really move. There was no point to keep going.

ShewashopefultheinjurywouldnotaffectherAustralian Open prospects next month.

`I mean, it`s in two weeks, so it`s a long time... with the back it`s always complicated,` she added. `Especially mine, it`s really something I take care of, so it`s kind of surprising for it to show up like this. But we`ll do the best that we can.

I will take some rest and with the physio I will improve as fast as I can.

Cornet will meet Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the second round after the Croatian, who travels full-time with her daughter, overcame Germany`s Tatjana Maria 6-4, 4-6, 6-0.

`I`m very sorry for Caroline. I know what it`s like to have back pain,` Cornet, who went down to Karolina Pliskova in last year`s final, said in a courtside interview.

`I hope she recovers for the next tournament in the Australian Open. I cannot say I`m glad to be through this way, but the adventure continues for me. Last year, I had a super run to the final and I have very good memories. I hope to go as far as possible.

MURRAY NEARS RETURN Australian Samantha Stosur`s year ended on a sour note after she continued her miserable run in her home tournament when she was bundled out by Latvia`s seventh seed Anastasija Sevastova.

The former US Open champion and French open finalist had opportunities against her 27-year-old opponent in the first set, but was completely outplayed by Sevastova in the second set to be eliminated 6-1, 6-3.

Stosur has now f ailed to get past the second round in eight attempts in Brisbane.

Serbian Aleksandra Krunic beat Carinna Witthhoeft of Germany 7-5, 7-6 (7-2) to set up a second round clash with Spanish top seed Garbine Murguruza, while Ana Konjuh tamed Kiki Bertens 6-1, 6-2.

There was a minor upset in the men`s draw when former Brisbane finalist Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine downed sixth seeded Argentine Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Meanwhile, former world number one Andy Murray continued his return from a hip injury with a practice session in Brisbane on Sunday as he prepares for his first competitive match since July. That comeback match will be against either American Ryan Harrison or Leonardo Mayer of Argentina in the second round on either Tuesday or Wednesday.

`I just want to enjoy playing again, I really missed it, Murray said on Sunday. `I want to play tennis... I don`t mind if it`s 30 in the world level I`d love it to be number one in the world level I just want to play.` `When that`s taken away from you, you realise how important it is.`-Agencies