This is the news from his website. Link here:

http://www.rogerfederer.com/en/rogers/news...cfm?uNewsID=868

So, does anyone remember when I said in a thread somewhere that "the back 2009" would be like "the mono 2008?"

Still, if it is a problem, I do hope he can get it straightened out and be in good health for the rest of the tour year. Call my cynical, but I do sense it's another long-term excuse in the making...and pre-emptively...shame on me if I'm wrong.

It makes sense for him not to play Dubai since he had absolutely no points to defend there anyway.

Well at least Dubai and the Davis Cup can severely cut it's Kleenex budget now. In this economy every penny counts!

as a tennis player who is dealing with his own injured back. My lower back has been spasming off and on for 2 weeks now. I can tell you that this is one injury that should NOT be played through.

I had my Clay Court Classic matches to play this weekend and my back made it almost impossible to hit a proper backhand. I lost to people who made my friends say, "How did you lose to him?" Oh well... whether it's injury or something else, when somebody stomps you, that's all there is to it.

Anyway.. Roger should definitely give himself enough time to recover. He has had a remarkably injury free career and this is simply the odds catching up with him.

I'm not at all surprised that Federer decided to pass on Dubai and Davis Cup.

First of all, after his recent big losses and drop in the rankings, it is likely that Federer has decided to focus on the big tournaments as he gets older. This is a very similar philosophy that Serena has adopted in her career. To be perfectly honest, I think Nadal is or will eventually do the same thing to limit injuries.

Second, Federer has recently lost to Roddick, Blake, and Fish. Why risk losing to these guys in the Davis Cup in Birmingham, AL when he is low on confidence and possibly not healthy?

Federer's pride has taken some big hits lately. I don't blame him for not taking the risk of losing to players from the US in the US that he has winning records against.

If Federer lost to the likes of Mardy Fish, he would probably have an even more difficult time regaining the confidence that he needs to get back to number one in the world.

Oh careful now. Didn't you read the note about not speculating about Nadal and his injuries because some people get their panties in a twist?

mdterp01,

If I have offended anyone by speculating about Nadal's injuries, I apologize and I have an excuse.

Due to the death of our computer, I haven't had access to the internet for almost a month.

Therefore, I haven't been on the discussion board in forever.

Even though I would like to, I didn't or don't have time to read all posts, discussions, or topics that took place during the time that I was out of the loop.

I was just being facetious Dedric. You certainly didn't offend me. Its just that in the past I have made comments about Nadal's longevity in tennis being questioned because of what we already see are knee issues that he has. And I STILL stand by that comment. Its just that when it came up some people acted like I insulted Jesus Christ himself. But your comments are fine with me.

Yes, Terp. You're a veritable pioneer in the prognostication of Nadal's precarious longevity due to his suspect physical status. My, what a fearless, brazen prediction you offer up; it's never been seen in print before you made such a prediction that you "STILL" stand by . You're a bold one, you are. And if that happens, you can tell us all what a genius you truly are, and how prescient you were, and how YOU were the first (and possibly the only!!) one who saw it coming!!

But are you also keeping track of how many predictions you've made about him that, in fact, haven't come to pass (e.g., a year ago at this time you loudly proclaimed he would fall from #2 in the world to be supplanted there by Djokovic)??

No one said you were insulting "Jesus Christ Himself". And a claim like this one is basically an attempt to insulate yourself from any disagreement with your comments that you "STILL" stand by . Man up sweetheart, and take the heat when you make such predictions that, well, don't quite pan out as you predicted.

Ahh...I knew that train would be rolling in on schedule. Case in point Dedric, and so predictable.

Considering some of what's been going down this past week in the realm of tennis to incite this is pathetic.

Have fun.

What are you talking about? Regarding Peer being denied access into Dubai? Does the world need to stop because that happened? Its just a little friendly banter between board mates. Its all good baby.

Yeah, keep putting words in my mouth. And keep trying to spin the fact that back when you'd repeatedly bring up Nadal's knee issues and longevity, you'd do it in a way that suggested he might have already passed his peak. I sure as hell didn't want to. You're the one who started pulling faces and then acting proud when the trains arrived. Congrats.

As Derrick points out in this thread, he could just as easily be compared to Serena. None of us know whether he'll play Rotterdam until his legs are stubs or get sensible and make it to Moya's age as a successful if not top 10 player.

The world doesn't have to stop, but discussing tennis can be potentially painful for anyone who has real-life daily ties to the kinds of things brought up by the Peer/Dubai situation. And really tough for anyone who knows sports aren't apolitical and that what's been going on is a disappointment and a debacle all around. Anyway, I checked in today to see what might be up. I won't bother you further with any disagreement that you label hero worship. Pardon the interruption.

Ok so big whoop. I made a prediction and it didn't pan out. I made more than a few predictions that didn't pan out. THEY ARE CALLED PREDICTIONS!!!! I don't quite understand. Seems like its some other people who enjoy the "na na na-na na" because I was wrong about it. Guess what...I will make future predictions that turn out wrong as well. Thats why they are called...umm...well...PREDICTIONS!!! Seriously people...I readily admit I was wrong about Nadal. He proved me wrong at Wimbledon. He proved me wrong at the Australian Open, and I said I will never again doubt this kid's ability again after that Australian Open final performance. That whole change your mind thing ya know? It does happen, but I, along with others before me (just making sure I'm not accused of doin the whole Nostradamus/no one else has ever put it in print before I said it thing ) have questioned Nadal's ability to be playing well into his late 20s and 30s because of his style of tennis. Is this the first time something like that has been brought up? I remember thinking the same about Venus and Serena after the '03 season when their bodies seemed to be breaking down. The obvious answer for them was to curtail their schedule and focus on the slams while not being so concerned with the #1 ranking. Was I premature in talking about this so early in Nadal's career? Perhaps. But I said it. Sue me. I mean do you want my blood? What?

As for the whole Peer issue, if that hits home with people for anyone reason, I apologize if it seemed I was dismissing it. Its certainly an important issue that tennis has to address. Its just that for me, I've spoken on it and have moved on to discuss other things. Don't know what more I can say other than sorry for bringing this up in "Federer Pulls out of Dubai and Davis Cup" lol. It has nothing to do with the topic. So any further comments can be sent to me via PM...or not.

No. Nobody wants your blood. At least I think nobody does anyway.

But this post outlines why you get the feedback you get. You make such a brazen "prediction" on Nadal's eventual career demise due to his physical breakdown with such unshakable certainty that it stops being a prediction at that point. It becomes a pronouncement, utterly filled with conviction & certitude (i.e., "I STILL stand by it"). And you don't get to "escape", as it were, by subsequently claiming "Hey, if it didn't pan out, well, it was just a 'prediction' anyway. Geez, why all the commotion kids??". You try to have it both ways. Certainty and abolutism on the one hand; and feeble sheepish, reluctant comeuppance on the other, claiming it's no big deal you were wrong (which is true). But your written certitudes so OBVIOULSY BEG for a huge congratulations to yourself, or a huge SITYS (See I Told You So) should they pan out. It's the Buckshot Prediction Method: throw enough of your "predictions" out and when one sticks, shove it back in everybody's face about how right you were. Enough already. And lets' be honest Terp, all you really do in this case is buy into the Media Conventional Wisdom about Nadal anyway. None of your "predictions" about his health, or his supposed limitations in his game are your own based on your analysis of tennis. It's regurgitation from people like Drysdale, McEnroe, Cahill, etc. You just parrot what they say, and absorb it as YOUR conviction, prediction, certainty, etc. Which is why you have the same amount of egg on your face about Nadal's career as they do (which, credit where it's due, you admirably cop-to in your post above).

And what's this stuff in your post above regarding concerns about Nadal's ability to play tennis into his 20's & 30's as the basis for you "prediction"?? Who in the hell is in their 30's today that plays deep into any Major, healthy or not????????? And now that we have Federer with "back issues" - and he is, by the way 27 - so does HE qualify as someone playing tennis into his 20's in 30's, as you claim above? Where were your "predictions" about him? Did you think that he could never have the slightest concern about any injury or condition at all when he packed 13 Majors and 50 ATP titles into a mere 6 years of a career? What..no clue from you that an amount of tennis that great into such a short time span would yield any physical repercussions for him? I'd say given your certitude about Nadal's eventual physical breakdown, your reknowned powers of prognostication deserted you regarding Federer's back injury (and uh, just so you know - some people here DID envision such a thing for him). I guess your need an overhaul of that sharp insight you posess. Or maybe we'll get your Federer "predictions" on his physical ills once you hear it from Drysdale, PMac, Cahill & Company.

Please find me the post where I said Nadal's career WILL end early based on his grinding style of play, or already existing knee issues. Or did I say I wonder if it will, or I feared that it would. I may have said something like the kid can't continue to play that kind of tennis and expect a long career. Well yeah I'm still sticking by that because its still too early in his career. We haven't gotten to the point where we can evaluate if I was wrong or not. As for him slipping out of 2nd further...umm yeah...was wrong about that. So you are bashing me for a prediction I made that we can't even evaluate yet because he's in his early 20s. Mmm hmm...lot of sense that makes. Perhaps in another 5 years we can revisit that topic, since that is the one you seem to have the most issue with. Next!!!!

Listen - I am just about one to bitch about some lame things.

But this track in this thread is really some pretty, petty lame shit.

Aren't there more important things to worry about.....

You know- like my poor Ricky Braddy getting screwed on American Idol!!!

Aww...I haven't been watching American Idol this season so I can't sympathize. I don't know...the feeling on that show is just gone for me..

Sorry to be a spoil sport, but since this thread is partly supposed to be about Davis Cup, it's as good a place as any to note that the upcoming Davis Cup tie between Sweden and Israel is essentially going to be played in private to avoid protests -- not just violent acts by Arab "nuts" -- from happening inside the stadium.

Canceling a tournament or tournaments in Dubai, or patting ourselves on the back for thinking that's what should be done, isn't going to make these kinds of situations go away.

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet for whatever reason, it's probably also worth nothing that Federer is a Dubai resident.