Fresh off his victory at the Australian Open, Roger Federer will miss the Dubai Championships because of a lung infection.
Organizers said on Sunday that the top-ranked Swiss star picked up the infection last week and will miss the $2 million event, which starts Monday, for the second straight year.
A four-time winner in Dubai, Federer will rest for two weeks and is expected to return at Indian Wells on March 11.
Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic replaces him in the main draw.
Andy Roddick, the 2008 champion, withdrew from the tournament on Saturday.
Roddick’s reason for withdrawing remains unclear, though I’m sure it has to do with his shoulder injury at the Australian Open. It must be more serious than we thought.
As for Federer, his decision is an easy one. While the $2 million prize money would be nice, his only focus is winning Grand Slams at this point in his career and he needs to be completely healthy.
Photo from fOTOGLIF
