Federer pulls out of Dubai

World number two Roger Federer has pulled out of the Dubai tournament and Switzerland’s Davis Cup tie against the U.S. 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.



Federer had to withdraw from his third-round match at the Paris Masters in October and had treatment on his back during his defeat to 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 teammates for the Davis Cup first-round tie against the US in Alabama from March 6 to 8.