Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from next week's China Open in Beijing with a back injury.
Djokovic partially ruptured a back muscle while trying to keep Serbia's Davis Cup hopes alive against Argentina. Still exhausted from a succession of gruelling matches at the US Open, Djokovic took to the court against Juan Martin Del Potro and had to retire trailing 7-6, 3-0.
The injury needs rest and so Djokovic will be unable to defend his China Open title and will probably also miss the Shanghai Masters.
Leading tennis pundits have advised Djokovic to take most of the rest of the season off and just compete in the ATP World Finals and so refresh himself for 2012 after the sheer number of matches he's played this year.
The China Open features most of the players in the running for those crucial ATP World Finals places including Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Tomas Berdych, Nicolas Almagro and Gael Monfils. Andy Roddick is also competing.
