Switzerland's Wawrinka to skip first round of Davis Cup

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands -- Stan Wawrinka is skipping a Davis Cup tie for the first time in his career, saying he will not play in defending champion Switzerland's first-round meeting with Belgium in March.

Wawrinka and Roger Federer helped Switzerland win the tournament for the first time in November but said he "had to take this difficult decision due to my busy playing schedule in the upcoming weeks."

He said the decision is for the first round only, and that he will "reassess at a later stage when I will return to the team."

Wawrinka is playing in the World Tennis Tournament in Rotterdam this week.