MELBOURNE, Australia — Nicolas Kiefer has withdrawn from the Australian Open after failing to recover from a left ankle injury sustained last week playing for Germany at the Hopman Cup.

The 31-year-old Kiefer, a semifinalist at the 2006 Australian Open, had been drawn to meet Argentina's Guillermo Canas in the first round.

The No. 37-ranked Kiefer notified organizers on Saturday. He will be replaced by a qualifier.

A qualifier will also replace Italy's Filippo Volandri, who was banned for three months by the International Tennis Federation for abusing an asthma drug.

The Italian tennis federation announced the ITF's decision Friday, saying Volandri's use of salbutamol was deemed beyond therapeutic needs. The ban began Thursday and will expire at midnight on April 14.

Volandri failed a drug test last March at a tournament in Indian Wells, California.

The 109th-ranked Volandri had been drawn to face Mario Ancic of Croatia in the Australian Open, which starts Monday.