HALLE, Germany(AP) Roger Federer pulled out of the Gerry Weber Open, his usual grass-court warm-up for Wimbledon, saying Tuesday he is overwhelmed'' andexhausted after his French Open win.
The withdrawal came two days after Federer's record-tying 14th Grand Slam victory at the French Open, the only major title that had been missing from his resume.
``I sincerely apologize to the tournament organizers, my competitors, and my fans in Germany. I only hope they will understand that I still feel emotionally overwhelmed and exhausted by the incredible events of the past few days,'' Federer said Tuesday on his Web site.
``It is hard for me to admit, but I simply cannot imagine giving my best effort in another tournament right away and I don't want to risk injury if I am not 100 percent prepared. I need to rest and recuperate,'' he said.
Federer has won the tournament in Halle five times, and four of those years he went on to win Wimbledon.