Wawrinka looks to end title drought in desert sideshow

Stan Wawrinka hopes the Qatar Open ends his worrying title drought although the fanfare surrounding the newly-created ATP Cup more than 10,000km away in Australia means his efforts this week may struggle to register barely a blip on the global tennis radar.

The 34-year-old Wawrinka, a three-time major winner, is top seed in Doha which boasts a respectable $1.4 million prize fund.

However, former Qatar champions Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are draw cards at the ATP Cup, currently underway in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, as are 14 other members of the world's top 20.

Wawrinka is ranked 16 but missed out on the razzmatazz 'Down Under' after 38-year-old Swiss teammate Roger Federer opted for a longer rest over the winter.

In an indication of how badly-holed the Qatar tournament has been by the ATP Cup, Russia's Andrey Rublev, the world 23, takes the second seeding.

"We have been talking with the ATP Tour for the last year and half to find a solution," Qatar Open tournament director Karim Alami told The Peninsula as he reflected on the awkward timing of an event which has been a key warm-up for the Australian Open since Boris Becker won the inaugural title in 1993.

"We are trying to find another date -- maybe sometime in February before the event in Dubai so it could be part of the Middle East swing."