U.S. Davis Cup player Taylor Dent had back surgery Wednesday and hopes to return to the tour before Wimbledon. Dent was ranked as high as 21st last year but he’s only 1-4 in 2006 and has slipped to 65th on the ATP Tour. He hurt his back in Rotterdam in February. “This is a minor procedure and I hope to be back for the grass- court season,” Dent said in a statement distributed by the ATP.

Third-seeded Shahar Peer of Israel advanced to the quarterfinals of the Prague Open, beating Zuzana Ondraskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 0-6, 6-3 Wednesday. Also, sixth-seeded Maria Elena Camerin of Italy defeated Meghann Shaughnessy of the United States 7-5, 6-4, and eighth-seeded Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine upset Melinda Czink of Hungary 2-6, 6-0, 6-2.

Three-time champion Gustavo Kuerten will skip the French Open because of an injury, as will Igor Andreev — the last player to beat defending champion Rafael Nadal on clay. The 26th-ranked Andreev withdrew from the year’s second Grand Slam tournament with a knee injury and was replaced in the field Wednesday by Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark.

Top-seeded David Nalbandian beat Nikolay Davydenko 6-3, 6-4 Sunday to become the third two-time winner of the Estoril Open. Nalbandian — who won in 2002 — joins Carlos Costa of Spain (1992, ’94) and Thomas Muster of Austria (1995-96) as two-time winners. “To return four years later after the first triumph and to win again is very positive,” Nalbandian said.

Top-seeded Kim Clijsters defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia 7-5, 6-2 Sunday to win the clay court J&S Cup. The victory avenges a semifinal loss to Kuznetsova in last year’s J&S Cup. “She’s a very, very good clay-court player,” Clijsters said. “I was very aggressive and tried not to give her the opportunity to play her own game.” Serving at 5-5 in the first set, Kuznetsova pushed a forehand wide…