Roger Federer pulls out of the Dubai event to focus on training
Federer has withdrawn from the ATP 500 Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships. After losing in the Qatar Open the quarter-finals on Thursday, his first tournament in more than a year. The 39-year-old Swiss, who returned to action after two knee operations last year. Briton Dan Evans in three sets in his comeback match in Doha. But lost in the next round to Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6 6-1 7-5.
It was wonderful to return to the @atptor, who liked to play again every minute in Doha. Grand Slam champion Federer said twenty times on social media. I wanted to return to training next week. I decided to resign from Dubai. Moreover, Federer is a Dubai champion eight times and won his hundredth tournament title in 2019. He decided to stop defending his title at the Miami Open event Masters 1000 from 22nd March until 4th April.
Federer had aimed for an Australian Open last month:
Federer had aimed for an Australian Open last month. But he had missed the Grand Slam and said he’d participate in tournaments to help him get fit before Wimbledon. In the meantime, Rafa Nadal has also out of the event in Dubai with a wild card given. I want to say thank you to @DDFTennis for inviting me to wildcards, said Nadal on Twitter. We’ve really thought about the play. But I don’t believe I’m yet able to play. The Miami Open, an ATP 1000 event to be held from March 24th-April 4th.
The men’s field in Dubai is now being led by the reigning US Open and World champion Dominic Thiem who is to compete in 2021. Rotterdam championship and World number eight Andrey Rublev, and Stan Wawrinka the three-time Grand Slam champion. 2020 US Open quarter-finalist Denis Shapovalov, 2018 Dubai champion Roberta Bautista Agut, 2021 Montpellier winner David Goffin and 2020 US Open semi-finalist Pablo Carreno Busta.
