Knee problem forces Nadal out of Basel event
World No. 1 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from the upcoming Basel indoor tournament due to a knee issue.
With the ATP Finals coming up next month, the Spaniard said on his Facebook page he had made the decision to pull out of next week's event after getting medical advice.
Nadal's 16-match winning streak was ended in the Shanghai Masters final on Sunday by world No. 2 Roger Federer, who can now make up some ground in the rankings chase.
"I sadly announce that I have to pull out of the Swiss Indoors Basel, after seeing my doctor in Spain just after landing from Shanghai," said Nadal on Tuesday.
"I am suffering from an overstressing of the knee and the problems where already present at the tournament in Shanghai which now forces me to take a time-off on advice of my doctor."
Nadal, 31, leads Federer by 1,960 points in the rankings but the 36-year-old Swiss can gain 500 points if he wins at Basel, with another 1,000 up for grabs at the Paris Masters. The winner of the season-ending ATP Finals (Nov 12-19) in London will receive up to 1,500 points.
Nadal and Federer have each won six titles this year, splitting the four Grand Slams between them. - REUTERS
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