Djokovic to delay his pre-Australian Open start

Dec 2, 2009, 1:04 GMT

Monte Carlo - Novak Djokovic will take a page from the Roger Federer playbook and trim his 2010 schedule in an effort to close the ranking gap on number two Rafael Nadal.

The Serb finished this season with the most wins on the ATP but wants to do even more when the new campaign starts in a month. He played 97 matches this season.

'This season was particularly special for all of us because it brought more commitment tournaments,' Djokovic said, after falling just short of a last-four spot at the season-ending event last week in London.

'I've played very solid on most of the events I played, quarter- finals or better. It's not that I've played too many tournaments. I had, next to the 18 tournaments that are counting as a ranking tournaments, a couple more - one of them my hometown tournament (in Belgrade), which I couldn't miss.'

A member of the ATP Player Council, he noted: 'In this moment there are too many obligations, too many commitments. There are things that we have to change, but we can't change for next year. I guess that we will have to try. I will have to try to do everything I can to put priorities on events that I have to perform my best tennis in - Grand Slams and Masters 1000 events.'

Djokovic has wiped off his 2010 campaign, skipping January starts in Brisbane and Sydney and will begin his year at the Kooyong exhibition in Melbourne, followed by the Australian Open, which he won in 2008.