**World number one Roger Federer has pulled out of the Dubai Championships because of a lung infection.**The Swiss, a four-time winner in Dubai, is expected to be out of action for a further two weeks.
Federer was due to make his first appearance since winning the Australian Open last month, but he will now return to action at Indian Wells in March.
British number one Andy Murray and world number two Novak Djokovic are among those competing in Dubai.
Federer’s withdrawal leaves Murray as the highest-ranked player in the top half of the draw, and the Scot will open his campaign against Russian qualifier Igor Kunitsyn.
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Croatia’s Marin Cilic is a potential semi-final opponent for Murray in what would be a repeat of their Australian Open encounter at the same stage, which the Briton won in straight sets.
The first round gets under way on Monday, with Murray against Kunitsyn the late match after defending champion Djokovic takes on Guillermo Garcia-Lopez at 1500 GMT.*