World no. 2 Roger Federer has withdrawn from the forthcoming Canada Masters in Montreal.













Roger Federer announced his withdrawal from the 2015 Rogers Cup, to be played in Montreal from 7-16 August, on Wednesday.





The Cincinnati Masters, where Federer is a six-time champion and is also defending his title, will be the five-time US Open champion’s only warm-up event before the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year begins in New York at the end of August.





‘I am disappointed that I won’t be playing in Montreal because it’s a tournament and a city that I really enjoy and has incredible fans. My family and I have always received first class treatment from Tournament Director, Eugène Lapierre, and his team and I hope to be back in the future,’ Federer said .





The US Open Series schedule, which calls for the top men and women to play back-to-back major events in August followed by a single rest week before the US Open begins in New York, can be brutal eight months into the tennis season. Although Federer, who is due to turn 34 just days before the Rogers Cup begins, gave no reason for the withdrawal, he is presumably exercising his right to skip Masters Series events due to the number he has played over his career.





Federer will consequently have a five-week break between Wimbledon and the Cincinnati Masters, enabling him to conserve energy for a serious tilt at the title in New York. He is undoubtedly playing well enough to mount a challenge for the US Open crown, which he last won in 2008. Federer has won titles in Brisbane, Dubai, Istanbul and Halle in 2015, as well as reaching the finals of Indian Wells, Rome and Wimbledon, where he played tennis recalling his vintage best before finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic.





Federer has won the Rogers Cup, which alternates yearly between Toronto and Montreal (with the WTA Tour event held in the other city), twice in Toronto (2004 and 2006) but never in Montreal. He finished runner-up in 2014 to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and has an overall 31-9 record at the tournament, skipping it in 2012 and 2013.





‘We are obviously disappointed to have Roger withdraw as it is always a privilege to watch him play,’ said Eugène Lapierre. ‘We also understand his decision because, above all, he has always been very loyal to our event and we would love to see him play tennis for many more years to come.’





After Federer’s withdrawal, Novak Djokovic remains the top seed while Andy Murray, who won back-to-back Rogers Cup titles in 2009-10, will be seeded second. French Open champion Stan Wawrinka, reigning US Open champion Marin Cilic, three-time Rogers Cup winner Rafael Nadal and defending champion Jo-Wilfried Tsonga are all in the field along with the rest of the world’s top players.





World no. 51 Jerzy Janowicz, a former Wimbledon semifinalist, has taken Federer’s spot in the draw.





The 2015 Rogers Cup will be played in Montreal and Toronto from 7-16 August.



