Injured Richard Gasquet Out of Qatar Open

Former champion Richard Gasquet pulled out of the season-opening Qatar Open on Thursday due to a back injury which could also threaten his participation in the Australian Open, local media reported Thursday. (Read More in Tennis)

Frenchman Gasquet, the world number nine, aggravated his long-standing back problem at the International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) exhibition event, the Gulf Times reported.

Gasquet, 29, won the 2013 Doha title when he defeated Nikolay Davydenko of Russia in the final.

The Qatar Open gets under way on January 4 with Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal set to take the top two seedings.