An ailing world number one tennis player Rafael Nadal has slumped out of the Qatar Open.
Nadal withered away after a bright start against Russian defending champion Nikolay Davydenko, losing 6-3 6-2.
Nadal was clearly suffering, telling an on-court doctor he felt "terrible" during the second set.
Nadal, who has been suffering with a fever all week in the Qatari capital, showed guts to finish the match in the circumstances and will be keen to regain 100 per cent fitness before the Australian Open starts on January 17.
Meanwhile Roger Federer has defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in straight sets in the first semi-final at the Khalifa Tennis Centre.
Federer, who played second fiddle to Nadal for much of last year when the Spaniard won three of the four grand slam titles, was clinical during a one-hour-21-minute defeat of Tsonga.
