World No.2 Petra Kvitova has pulled out of the February 13-19 Qatar Open because of a painful right achilles tendon.

“I’ve had a tough start to the year and I must rest up and recover properly,” the 21-year-old Czech player told Dnes.

A hectic January saw Kvitova win the Hopman Cup in Perth with compatriot Tomas Berdych, make the semi-finals in Sydney and the Australian Open before helping the Czech Republic into the semi-finals of the Fed Cup World Group.