Prague: World number nine Lucie Safarova said Thursday she would skip the Australian Open because of health problems linked to a bacterial infection that saw her hospitalised for a week last September.

"The treatment of my bacterial infection has become complicated in recent days," Safarova told AFP through her spokesman Karel Tejkal. "I couldn't do the training that would allow me to fly to the tournaments in Australia well prepared," said Safarova, who won the doubles title at the 2015 Australian Open with Bethanie Mattek-Sands.