Tuesday, 17 February 2009

Federer sidelined by back injury

Federer has not played since his defeat in the Australian Open final World number two Roger Federer has pulled out of the Dubai tournament and Switzerland's Davis Cup tie against the US to recover from a back injury. The 13-time Grand Slam champion has not played since he lost a five-set epic against Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. "After injuring my back last autumn, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely," said the 27-year-old. "I will use the next few weeks to make sure it is fully rehabilitated." Federer had to withdraw from his third-round match at the Paris Masters in October and had treatment on his back during his defeat by Andy Murray at the Masters Cup in November. He was due to play in Dubai next week alongside seven other top-10 players, including Nadal, before linking up with his Swiss team-mates for the Davis Cup first-round tie against the US in Alabama from 6-8 March. Federer has often skipped the first round of the Davis Cup, returning only to help the team avoid relegation from the elite World Group. However, the Swiss had committed to play alongside world number 18 Stanislas Wawrinka this year. "This decision was very difficult for me," Federer said in a statement on his official website. "I won't just be missing one of my favourite tournaments of the tour, but also the chance to go through to the next round with my team-mates." Nadal may also be a doubt for the Dubai tournament, which begins on Monday, after struggling with a knee problem during his defeat by Murray in Sunday's Rotterdam final.