Volatile Russian Marat Safin has decided to play in the Thailand Open next week instead of for his country in their Davis Cup semi-final against Argentina.
The former world No. 1 said that going to Buenos Aires for this weekend’s tie and then to Bangkok on Monday would be too much and his priority right now was improving his world ranking. He is currently ranked 38.
“Marat will not be going to Argentina for Davis Cup,” said a statement on the 28-year-old’s Web site.
“He needs to keep getting points before the end of the year and he felt the trip from Buenos Aires to Bangkok would be very long and tiring and could make it difficult for him to play well in Bangkok in order to get points,” the statement said.
“He talked to [Russian captain] Shamil Tarpischev and asked to be released from the team for Davis Cup which Tarpischev agreed to,” it said.
“Marat’s thoughts will be with the Russian team and he wishes them all the best of luck and to play well and win,” the statement said.
Russia are already without Mikhail Youzhny due to illness with the squad now comprising Nikolay Davydenko, Igor Andreev and Dmitry Tursunov.
Tarpishchev had earlier named Igor Kunitsyn as a reserve.
The US$576,000 Thailand Open is headlined by Australian Open champion and world No. 3 Novak Djokovic.
Safin, who helped Russia to Davis Cup victories in 2002 and 2006, has won US$645,682 in prize money so far this season.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two