Wrist Injury Forces Safin To Retire In Los Angeles

Marat Safin's return to tournament tennis lasted exactly eight games. The former No. 1, whose opening-round Mercedes Benz Cup match against wild card Prakash Amritraj yesterday was his first ATP match since April 28th, reinjured the same left wrist injury that sidelined him for the past three months and was forced to retire while trailing 3-5.
"I got injured, I felt a lot of pain in my wrist," Safin said. "I could not hit a backhand so I decided to stop."

Wrestling with the wrist injury the sidelined him for both Roland Garros and Wimbledon, Safin resumed practicing last week. The recurrence of the injury leaves Safin's status for the U.S. Open in doubt. The 2000 U.S. Open champion said he will seek medical treatment before deciding his immediate future, but Safin spoke like a man prepared to write off the rest of an injury-shortened season.

"It's all open, I don't know," Safin said of a time table for his return. "It depends on the doctor. I have to find a solution. Anyway it's the end of the season, so I need to find out and be prepared for the next season."

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 a big event 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.

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