Safin pull-out due to injury leaves Hewitt favourite

MUMBAI: Former world number one Marat Safin has pulled out of the September 24-30 $ 4,16,000 Kingfisher Airlines Mumbai Tennis Open due to a wrist injury.

The pull-out of the Russian, currently ranked 27th in the world, has left the field clear for another two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia to make a strong claim for the top prize in the tournament to be held at the hard courts of the Cricket Club of India.

About Safin's withdrawal Tournament Director, Gaurav Natekar, said, "He has a stress fracture on the left wrist, which is not a small injury. We have been advised by the ATP, that it is the very same reason that he has also pulled out of the Tokyo and Moscow events, as well as the Davis Cup."

The tournament, in its second edition, has none from the top twenty competing in it unlike the inaugural event last year when there were five top-20 players fighting it out.

The qualifying rounds in singles would be held on September 22 and 23.