Switzerland's Roger Federer (Reuters)
Roger Federer has withdrawn from the Madrid Masters because of a back injury.
The third-ranked Federer said Monday that he was hurt in practice during the weekend and didn't want to take any chances aggravating the injury.
Federer was coming of a knee injury after the Australian Open which sidelined the Swiss player for about two months.
The 35-year-old Federer, the winner in Madrid in 2012, had been a late addition to the field this week. The tournament was not originally on his schedule, but the former No. 1 decided to include it as part of his preparations for the French Open in three weeks.
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