World number one Roger Federer has decided to withdraw from next month's Japan Open and Shanghai Masters in order to get some rest, the Swiss star confirmed on Friday.

"I am disappointed that I have to withdraw from Tokyo and Shanghai as they are two of my favorite cities in the world and the fans have been great to me over the years," Federer said on his website (www.rogerfederer.com).

"After consultation with my team and doctors, I decided to take the difficult decision to withdraw from both tournaments so that I can give my body a chance to rest, rehabilitate and fully recover from a physically challenging year."

Federer had a splendid season so far, reclaiming his world number one spot from Rafael Nadal, winning the French Open for the first time and Wimbledon, but failed to win a sixth consecutive U.S. Open title when he lost to Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro in the final earlier this month.

(Xinhua News Agency September 27, 2009)