World No. 1 Serena Williams will spend another week on the sidelines after withdrawing from the Qatar Open.
Williams pulled out of the ongoing Dubai Tennis Championships due to illness and confirmed on Tuesday that she will not feature in Doha next week.
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A statement from the American read: "I unfortunately have to withdraw from the Qatar Total Open as I have come down with the flu and do not feel 100 percent.
"I need to take this time to recover but I do look forward to returning to Doha and seeing my fans soon."
Williams, who lost in the finals in Qatar three years ago, has not featured on the WTA Tour since her shocking defeat to Angelique Kerber in last month's Australian Open final.