Ancic retires from tennis

SPLIT, Croatia, Feb. 23 (UPI) -- Mario Ancic, who was ranked as high as seventh in the world, said Wednesday he was retiring from competitive tennis.

Ancic said a series of injuries and illnesses led to the decision to retire after 10 years as a professional.

"It was one of the toughest decisions I ever had to make," Ancic said. "I'm only 26 but my body said I would not be able to continue on a high level.

"I was advised to either undergo surgery or go through a conservative method but I had no guarantee with either option."

He said he would pursue a career in law. He earned a law degree in 2008 from the University of Split in Croatia.

Ancic won three ATP titles, including the UNICEF Open in the Netherlands in 2005 and 2006. His best Grand Slam result was a semifinal appearance at the Wimbledon Championships in 2004. He reached No. 7 in the world in October 2006, a year after helping Croatia win a Davis Cup championship.

His first major tournament appearance was marked with a first-round upset of Roger Federer in 2002 at Wimbledon. Federer didn't lose again at Wimbledon until the finals in 2008, winning the tournament five consecutive years.