Marat Safin

Calcutta/Kathmandu: Marat Safin has pulled out of the Kingfisher Airlines Open as well as the next few tournaments because of an injured wrist. Strangely, he’ll attempt the conquest of the world’s sixth highest peak with a Russian team.

“I was told by his agent today that a bad wrist had ruled Safin out for virtually the remainder of the season,” Mahesh Bhupathi told The Telegraph from Beijing.

Safin was to have been one of the top attractions in the Mumbai ATP meet from September 24, the others being Lleyton Hewit, Marcos Baghdatis and Richard Gasquet.

Now, he will feature in an eight-member expedition which is scheduled to leave Nepal on Friday to climb Cho Oyu, a 8,201-metre (26,906 ft) peak on the Nepal-Tibet border.

“This is an interesting climb but he (Safin) has had very good physical exercise,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, chief of the Nepal Mountaineering Association.

“Safin is young and energetic although the climb is challenging. I’m hopeful he will succeed,” said Ang, who also heads the agency providing logistic support to the expedition. He added that the expedition could last a month.