Federer pulls out of Dubai tournament

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:19

The 13-time Grand Slam champion made the announcement on his personal web site, noting that the decision was a “precautionary measure.”

Federer, who first suffered the injury last fall, has not competed since losing to world No. 1 Rafael Nadal last month in the final of the Australian Open.

“This was a hard decision to make as I am missing not only one of my favourite events on tour in Dubai but I am also missing out on an opportunity to help my country try and move on to the next round of Davis Cup,” said Federer.

Switzerland host the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup in early March.

The world number two, Federer sounded confident that the problem will not sideline him for an extended period.

“After injuring my back last fall, I did not have enough time to strengthen it completely,” he wrote. “As a precautionary measure, I will use the next few weeks to make sure the back injury is fully rehabilitated and I am ready for the rest of the 2009 season.”

Federer remains one Grand Slam title shy of matching Pete Sampras’ record of 14.

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