Federer: aiming for long career at the top

I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the number one ranking again.

Roder Federer
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Roger Federer has withdrawn from next week's Stockholm Open in an effort to conserve his physical fitness.

The world number two, who lost the top ranking to Rafael Nadal earlier in the season, is taking an extended break following his recent exertions at the US Open, where he claimed his 13th Grand Slam title.

"I was always playing catch up after being diagnosed with mononucleosis at the beginning of the year," Federer said in a statement released by tournament organisers.

"I feel fortunate to be healthy again, but I want to remain at the top of the game for many more years to come and go after the number one ranking again.

"In order to do that, I need to get a proper rest and get strong again so that I am 100 percent fit for the remainder of the year or next year.

"At this point, I am not sure when I will be ready to play again, but I hope to be back at some point before the end of the year."

The Stockholm Open takes place from October 6-12, with world number seven David Nalbandian now the top seed.

Kooyong Classic

But looking to the future, Federer is set to play in the Kooyong Classic in January as part of his Australian Open preparations.

The Swiss ace missed last year's eight-man exhibition event with a stomach virus before then bowing out in the semi-finals of the opening grand slam to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.

World number nine Stanislas Wawrinka and number 10 James Blake are the only other top-10 ranked players so far confirmed for the event.

The field also includes Marat Safin, Marcos Baghdatis, Fernando Gonzalez and Ernests Gulbis.

Tournament director Colin Stubs, who has yet to decide who will fill the eighth place in the draw, said world number one Rafael Nadal planned to rest the week before the Australian Open.

"At the moment Nadal is probably going to do that, although he's got a fairly good reason, he's got some bad knee problems and he doesn't want to extend himself physically a week before a grand slam, which is fair enough," Stubs said.