MEMPHIS (February 13) - The Kroger St. Jude and the Cellular South Cup received word late this afternoon that Anna Kournikova has been forced to withdraw from the tournament due to an injury sustained at the Australian Open.

She will, however, make a special trip to Memphis on Monday night to make a check presentation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The ceremony will take place on Stadium Court at The Racquet Club of Memphis, between the evening's two feature matches.

A message to her fans on her official website reads as follows: "I'm back from Australia and home in Florida right now. My back sprain is improving but I won't be in tournament competition for about the next three weeks. Unfortunately, this means that I won't be able to play in Memphis next week, which is very disappointing for me. It's a great tournament that has a wonderful charitable beneficiary in St. Jude. I wish them all the best for a really successful tournament week."