Novak Djokovic pulls out of China Open with back injury – Tennis News
Reigning world number one, Novak Djokovic from Serbia announced his withdrawal from the upcoming China Open in Beijing. Scheduled to be the top seeded player in the main draws, Djokovic pulled out of the event after suffering a
back injury earlier in the month.
Plagued by the back injury since the 2011 US Open final against former world number one, Rafael Nadal, Djokovic has not been on the top of his game. A juggernaut for the better part of the season, the Serb withdrew from his Davis
Cup rubber against Juan Martin Del Potro last weekend citing the same injury.
However, an athlete in a class of his own, Djokovic managed to play through the injury in the first week of September as he clinched his fourth Grand Slam title, third for the season, after defeating Nadal in four sets.
A regretful Djokovic, however, announced yesterday that he would have to pull out of the China Open since the tear in his lower back muscled had still not healed. Criticized for his withdrawals from most matches due to injuries
in the past, Djokovic has been nothing but the pinnacle of fitness in 2011. The only other time this year he pulled out of the event was in the final of the Cincinnati Masters when he graciously conceded the match to give the current world number four and
“friend”, Andy Murray a title win for the season.
Announcing on his official website (http://www.novakdjokovic.rs) the Serb said, "I am very sad to announce I will not participate in the China Open. Because of my back injury, which is very particular
and restrains me from rotating my upper body in serve motion, I am not able to compete. I apologise to all my fans and tennis lovers who bought tickets hoping to see me play. I am resting and doing a lot of therapies and trying to recover so I can play the
remaining tournaments this season."
Where there is fame so are the haters. Not days after the Davis Cup, pictures made it onto the Internet showing Djokovic playing football. The Serb was questioned on several forums as to how he could play football if he was not
fit to play in Beijing. The Serb’s tweet on Twitter.com on 29th September put a stop to these ridiculous and hateful questions.
He said, “For all of those people who have doubts. Yes, I played football, and I had no problem with my injury there, but as soon as I started playing tennis and tried to serve, it just wasn't recovered enough for Beijing. I am
working on my fitness, but I need more time and therapy to feel 100% ready to compete!”
As the Serb pulls out of the China Open, fresh rumours afloat as to the Serb’s participation in the Shanghai Masters, scheduled in the second week of October. Former world number one and defending champion, Roger Federer and top
Swede Robin Soderling have already pulled out of Shanghai. However, tournament directors hope that the Serb will not join the two and will be fully recovered to play as the top seed in the event. Perhaps missing the China Open is the Serb’s only chance to
recover and end the season on the high note he’s playing on so far. (Djokovic holds ten titles for the season including three Grand Slam wins recording an impressive 64-3 win loss mark for the season.)
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