Dubai, UAE  - Rafael Nadal joined Roger Federer on the injury list for next week's Barclays Championships, with the Spanish No. 1 pulling out on Thursday to rest from a knee injury.

Nadal's website said that he had to cancel his trip to Dubai due to doctor's orders.

Separately, Federer withdrew with a back injury, which will also cause him to skip Switzerland's Davis Cup tie in Alabama against the United States March 6-8.

Stockholm  - The upcoming Davis Cup tie between Sweden and Israel will be played behind closed doors over security concerns, politicians in Swedish host city Malmo said Wednesday.

The city council's board for leisure, recreation and sport activities voted Wednesday that the March 6-8 tie would be played without any paying spectators.

Politicians from the Social Democrats and Left Party won the vote by 5-4, supporting a proposal from board chairman Bengt Forsberg of the Social Democrats.

The Davis Cup match has been classified as a high-risk event over potential protests by groups wanting to protest against the recent Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza.

Dubai, UAE  - Serena Williams eased through in her first match since withdrawing from a Paris semi-final, overcoming a slow start to get past Sara Errani 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 at the Barclays Championships on Tuesday.

The world number one Australian Open champion had withdrawn in France due to knee pain but showed little sign of discomfort against Errani for a place in the third round.

Williams needed to kick into gear after losing the opening set, storming in the second but double-faulting away two set points in the seventh game.

Dubai, UAE - World number two Dinara Safina has written off her 6-4, 6-2 opening defeat Tuesday at the Barclays Championships as a "bad day" as the Russian failed to recover after losing the Australian Open final.

Victory by Virginie Razzano of France marked the second straight loss for the Russian, who said she was well off her game.

"It was not my day, I just couldn't play my game," said Safina, who had won three of four matches against the number 58 Razzano. "I played worse in this loss than I did in Melbourne."

Dubai, UAE  - Ana Ivanovic got off to a winning start under new coach Craig Kardon, reaching the second round in a stroll at the Barclays Championships on Monday.

The French Open winner only teamed with the American a week or so ago in hopes of stopping her slide after winning Roland Garros but failing to back up that big win.

The Serb defeated Russian Alisa Kleybanova 7-5, 6-4 to take revenge for a third-round upset loss in the Australian Open, the last time Ivanovic played a WTA match.

Manacor, Spain  - The injury that hampered world number one Rafael Nadal in the final in Rotterdam "seems nothing serious," says his uncle and coach Toni Nadal.

"In principle it seems nothing serious," he told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa Monday.

Nadal - the recent champion at the Australian Open - lost the final Sunday to Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 6-0, and evidenced problems in his right knee.