Federer skipping Davis Cup match with Czech Republic

Roger Federer will face Frenchman Benoit Paire in his first-round Australian Open match.

Lucas Dawson/Getty Images

GENEVA (AP) -- Roger Federer is skipping Switzerland's Davis Cup match against the defending champion Czech Republic next month.

The winner of 17 Grand Slam titles was not in the Swiss lineup announced Monday for the first-round World Group match in Geneva on Feb. 1-3.

The team consists of veteran Stanislas Wawrinka and little-known Marco Chiudinelli, Henri Laaksonen, Michael Lammer and Sandro Ehrat.

The Czechs are expected to be led by Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek, who helped beat Spain in the Davis Cup final in November.

Federer does not always play in the early rounds of the Davis Cup. The first round comes the week after the end of the Australian Open.

Berdych beat Federer in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in September and the Wimbledon quarterfinals in 2010.

Copyright 2013 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.