The wrist watch revealed Marat Safin's training time has arrived. The 2001 U.S. Open champion, who was sidelined for the final three Slams of the season while wrestling with a wrist injury, is making progress in his recovery and could start practicing shortly.

Oleg Pryakhin, Tennis Week's Russian correspondent, reports Safin said he has removed the bandages from his wrist and resumed training in Moscow. Safin said he plans to start hitting sometime in the next week, but has not yet set a definite date for his return to the ATP Tour.

The former No. 1, reinjured his left wrist in an opening-round Mercedes Benz Cup match against Prakash Amritraj on July 29th, and was forced to retire while trailing 3-5. It was Safin's first ATP match since April 28th.

The 23-year-old Russian, who has posted a 12-7 record this season, initially sustained the wrist injury at the Australian Open in January. Safin withdrew from his third-round match with Rainer Schuettler at the season's first Grand Slam.

Since then, one of Safin's best showings in an injury-shortened season came at the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells where he reached the fourth round and was weakened by a flu-like virus in suffering the worst defeat of his career, a 6-0, 6-1 setback to Robby Ginepri. He followed that performance with a shocking 7-6(9), 7-5 second-round setback to 30-year-old Italian Davide Sanguinetti at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne.

It has been a disappointing descent for a player who appeared destined for dominance when he stormed through the 2000 season seizing an ATP-best seven tournament titles. Safin's delivered a dazzling display of championship tennis in crushing Pete Sampras to capture the 2000 U.S. Open crown as he became the youngest man to finish No. 2 since a 19-year-old Boris Becker in 1986.

Since that sustained season of brilliance, Safin has won exactly three titles in 30 months.

In a press conference during the U.S. Open, Lleyton Hewitt said an extensive schedule may have contributed to Safin’s chronic injury problems.

"I think at the end of the day, you look at how many matches he had to play last year," Hewitt said. "I lost to him in the Paris final, he played incredible tennis, had to fly straight off to Shanghai, he plays in the Masters Cup, has to fly back to Paris to play in the Davis Cup final on a totally different surface. That takes a lot out of you both physically and mentally."