MOSCOW (AFP) — Marat Safin has been forced to withdraw from Russia's Davis Cup team to take on Serbia from Friday due to a leg injury, coach Vladimir Kamelzon said on Thursday.
"Safin will miss the match with Serbia," Kamelzon said. "Doctors have found a fracture in a leg bone and has unable to run properly."
The absence of a player who has been key to Russian Davis Cup success in recent years will pose problems for team captain Shamil Tarpishchev, forcing him to seek a replacement.
Already in the team are world No.4 Nikolay Davydenko, No.8 Mikhail Youzhny and the big-hitting Dmitry Tursunov.
Igor Andreev, 33rd in the ATP rankings, is the most likely candidate to replace Safin in the Russian squad.
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