Roger Federer has said he will soon decide if he will compete at the the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next month. Federer, 36, created more history on Sunday when he won his 20th grand slam at the Australian Open, successfully defending the title he won last year with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 victory over Croatia's Marin Cilic. Following his 2017 triumph, Federer made his way to Dubai aiming to win the tournament for a record-extending eighth time, but the Swiss was surprisingly defeated by Russia's Evgeny Donskoy in the second round despite holding three match points in the second set. <strong>______________________</strong> <strong>Read more:</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/sport/tennis/roger-federer-wins-australian-open-title-for-grand-slam-no-20-it-s-almost-good-fun-1.699527">Roger Federer wins grand slam No 20: 'It's almost good fun'</a></strong> <strong>______________________</strong> The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships have been a regular fixture in Federer's career, even last year when the Swiss opted to cut back on his workload and missed the clay court season altogether. However, Federer chose not to commit to Dubai before the Australian Open, preferring instead to evaluate his fitness following the conclusion of the tournament before assessing his options. "We were in talks with them (Dubai organisers) but when the (Australian Open) tournament started, I just said 'look, if it's OK, I'd like to decide after the tournament'," he said. "That's an ideal scenario for me. After the tournament, I'll know how I feel... did I come out injured or not. So now we know what the situation is. "I also have to decide on the clay court season so all these things are kind of interlinked. "But it's possible I'll play something, but it's also possible that maybe I just don't play anything (for a while)." The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships begin with the WTA tournament on February 19, with the likes of Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza, world No 4 and defending champion Elina Svitolina, and former world No 1 Angelique Kerber all confirmed. The ATP tournament then follows on February 26 with ATP Finals champion and world No 4 Grigor Dimitrov among the players competing.
