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Friday September 4, 2009

Safin bows out in the first round of his final Grand Slam

US OPEN
FLUSHING MEADOWS, NEW YORK (AUG 31 - SEPT 13)

FORMER champion Marat Safin bid farewell to the US Open with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 defeat by Austrian Juergen Melzer in a first-round match on Wednesday.

Safin’s Grand Slam career came to an end when he punched a backhand into the net to end the two-hour, 13-minute match under sunny skies at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

“It’s okay, it’s the end,” Safin assured reporters after the match. “The last one. Could have been better ending but still okay. No regrets. I don’t care about losses anymore.”

The 29-year-old Russian, who won the 2000 US Open and was once the world’s top-ranked player, had already announced plans to retire at the end of the year.

“It’s just enough,” said Safin, who will play five more tournaments. “I achieved what I want to achieve and I want to continue doing something else.

“I definitely I want to get out of the tennis scene and try something completely different. I have plenty of time to think about it. It’s been a long ride, so I need some time off.

“It’s enough. It was a great 12 years of my career. I’ve been around for a long time.”

Safin, who also won the Australian Open in 2005, combined grace and skill on the court with a fiery temperament that many people believe cost him several more grand slam trophies.

“He won two Grand Slams, you have to appreciate that,” said the 38th-ranked Melzer. “Of course he had the talent to probably win five or six.

“But that’s how Marat plays and that’s how he lives his life. He lives his emotions. On one hand, that’s why he was so good. I hope he’s happy with his career. I know I would be.”

Safin routed Pete Sampras in straight sets to win the US Open nearly a decade ago. The 1.93m tall Russian said he was as surprised as anyone to claim the title.

“The match was just a miracle for me,” he recalled. “I didn’t expect anything from this year, because I started (ranked) 25. I dropped to 45.

“Then in three months I was number one in the world. I beat Sampras, and I really didn’t believe I could get anywhere close to the final of a grand slam.

“It was difficult because I was also 20 years old. I wasn’t ready for this.” — Reuters

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