World No 5 Russian tennis star Elena Dementieva pulled out of the Pacific Life Open on Wednesday because of a lingering rib injury, the Reuters news agency reported.

The 25-year-old Dementieva, who lost to compatriot Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-2 in last year’s final, has been replaced in the 128-strong draw by lucky loser Anastassia Rodionova.

Russian Rodionova will face Emma Laine of Finland in the opening round at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, with Austrian Sybille Bammer moving into Dementieva’s slot and getting a bye into the second stage.

“I was trying to practice but it was just too painful,” Dementieva told reporters. “It’s something which can happen when you over-use it.”

Dementieva, whose injury forced her to retire in the second set of her Diamond Games second-round match against compatriot Elena Likhovtseva in Antwerp last month, expects to be out for up to six weeks.

“There’s nothing doctors can do,” added the Russian, a semi-finalist at Indian Wells in 2000 and 2005. “Pain-killers don’t really help.”

“I really wanted to play here having got to the final last year. I did a lot of work before I came here but it’s hard to breathe when you have a rib injury and you have pain even when you are not playing.”

The first round of the women’s event began on Wednesday.

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