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MADRID : World number two Roger Federer, who withdrew from this week's Stockholm Open, will be back on the ATP tour for the Madrid Masters this month, organisers announced Thursday.
"It's definitely great news to be able to count on the presence of Roger Federer for another year," said the director of the tournament Manolo Santana. "He is a great champion and one of the favorites for the title."
Federer won the Madrid Masters in 2006 and was a finalist in 2007 in the event, which this year begins on Saturday with qualification matches and ends on October 19.
Last week, the Swiss national announced his withdrawal from the Stockholm Open, saying he wanted to take a break from tennis but hoped to return before the end of the year.
"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," he said in a statement to organisers of the Swedish event.
"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," Federer said.
"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."
Federer won his 13th Grand Slam crown and fifth consecutive US Open title last month, after losing this year's Wimbledon and French Open finals and his number one ranking to Spain's Rafael Nadal.
- AFP /ls
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