Wimbledon fourth seed David Nalbandian has withdrawn from next week's grasscourt Grand Slam with an abdominal injury.

The Argentine, a runner-up at the All England Club in 2002, was forced to retire after just five games of an exhibition match against Chilean Nicolas Massu at the Boodle and Dunthorne Champions Challenge at Stoke Park on Friday.

"Mr Nalbandian has withdrawn due to an abdominal muscle tear," Wimbledon referee Alan Mills said in a statement on Saturday.

A semi-finalist at the U.S. Open last year, Nalbandian had been seeded to meet Britain's Tim Henman in the quarter-finals.

The injury is a major blow to a player who uses strength and fitness to grind down opponents from the baseline.

While not considered a traditional grasscourt player, the burly Nalbandian enjoyed a magical run at the tournament in 2002, reaching the final in his first grasscourt tournament before losing to Lleyton Hewitt.

His place will be taken by a lucky loser from the qualifying draw, Italy's Stefano Pescosolido. Peruvian Luis Horna becomes the 33rd seed, with the other seeds keeping their original numbers and places in the draw.

Wimbledon, the only one of the four Grand Slams to be played on grass, begins on Monday and ends on July 4.