LONDON: French teenager Gael Monfils quit his Stella Artois quarterfinal against American James Blake on Friday due to a back injury. The 19-year-old had lost the first set 6-1 to Blake when he retired.
 
A tournament spokesman said Monfils would not play in next week's Nottingham grasscourt event.   
 
Monfils now faces a race to be fit for the Wimbledon grasscourt Grand Slam that starts on June 26.   
 
The former Wimbledon junior champion is ranked a career high 23 in the world having reached the fourth round of the French Open that finished on Sunday.