The tennis world number one Novak Djokovic has pulled out of next week's Shanghai Masters due to the back injury that also stopped him from defending his China Open title in Beijing.
Djokovic, who won the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this season as he dislodged Rafael Nadal from the top of the world rankings, aggravated a niggling injury in Serbia's Davis Cup tie with Argentina earlier this month.
The strain he felt in his win over Nadal in the U.S. Open final in New York became a rupture during his singles against Argentina's Juan Martin Del Potro, Djokovic retiring in anguish and sending the South Americans through to the final.
Djokovic, who wears specially made kit emblazoned with dragons for his China tour, is a big hit with the crowds in the world's most populous country and his absence has been a huge disappointment.
