Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli has admitted fearing she could miss Wimbledon after aggravating a wrist injury during her first round exit from the Birmingham WTA event on Wednesday.

Bartoli was a shock finalist at the grass court showpiece last year, where she lost to American Venus Williams.

The 23-year-old Bartoli has had a difficult year with illness and injury and on Wednesday her top seed status could not help her as she fell 5-7, 6-4, 6-0 to Petra Cetkovska of the Czech Republic.

Bartoli began to feel pain at the end of the first set from the tendonitis that first flared at Strasbourg on the eve of the French Open last month.

Instead of retiring, Bartoli continued in the match but clearly had little appetite for the battle and, from 4-4 in the second set, she lost eight games in a row to crash out of the tournament.

It was the first match of the year on grass for the world number 10 in her scheduled build-up to the June 23 to July 6 Wimbledon championships.

Bartoli was elevated to top seed following the withdrawal of defending champion Jelena Jankovic.

She now looks certain to withdraw from next week's Eastbourne championships and admits she may have to miss Wimbledon.

"My wrist is still bothering me since the French Open," she said. "It's really painful and it's really not a situation where I want to stay on court.

"I had it in Strasbourg and it's come back. I never know how I will be when I go on court or how long it's going to be hurting.

"It was fine until the middle of the second set. It's hard if I'm not 100 percent to be really focused."

Bartoli added: "It seems like 2008 doesn't want me to be in great shape. I am always having illness or injury. There is always something in my body and it's hard to compete at the best level.

"It is tendonitis and it's starting to hurt more. I had the same with my knee last year.

"Missing a grand slam, especially Wimbledon, would be a huge disappointment. I am particularly disappointed because last year I played almost the whole year. It was only in the last two weeks that I had any problem but this year there is always something."

Bartoli's exit leaves world number 19 Nicole Vaidisova as the clear favourite to lift the Birmingham title. She booked a place in the third round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over another Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.

AFP