Marat Safin is changing rackets for ice picks

Over the weekend, Russian tennis star Marat Safin bagged his very first summit - Murat (4100 m). Last week Safin arrived in Nepal with the intention of climbing Cho Oyu, the world’s sixth highest mountain, giving the former world number one a fresh challenge.

According to Reuters,

“ Safin is part of an eight-member Russian expedition which is due to leave Nepal today to climb Cho Oyu, the 8,201-metre (26,906 ft) mountain on the Nepal-Tibet border, a Nepalese hiking official said.

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

“He is young and energetic although the climb is challenging. I’m hopeful he will succeed,” said the official, providing logistic support to the expedition.

The expedition is expected to last over a month, which is also likely to rule Safin out of this month’s Davis Cup semi-final against Germany.

In response to journalists’ questions to Russian Davis Cup Captain Shamil Tarpishchev why Marat Safin had preferred alpinism to playing tennis for Russia, Tarpishchev said: “ Whatever is happening with Marat is internal. He has issues with himself.”

Typical Safin style. I like the guy!

(Photo source: 7 Summits Club)