ESPN Tennis

Updated: September 2, 2009, 5:30 PM ET

Slam careers closed for Safin, Santoro

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By Greg Garber
ESPN.com
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NEW YORK -- In the end, there was surprisingly little fanfare.

When Marat Safin's final match in a Grand Slam concluded Wednesday, he packed away his rackets quickly, strode across the court with a wave to the appreciative Louis Armstrong crowd, executed a delicate 360-degree spin and walked through the exit, offering little show of sentiment aside from a small, wry smile.

It was an oddly appropriate farewell, this 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 first-round loss to Jurgen Melzer. The 29-year-old Russian came out blazing, then slowly, inevitably, fell to earth.

Safin was subdued but not sad in his postmatch news conference. He appeared quite at peace with his decision to retire after a 12-year career.

"It's OK," he said softly. "It's the end. It's the last one. Could have been better ending, but still OK.

"It's been a long ride. I need some time off. I think it's just enough."

Safin, with his brilliant talent and fiery temperament, is seen as one of the great underachievers of his tennis generation. He won his first major here at the U.S. Open in 2000, dazzlingly raw at the age of 20, scalding Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in the final. He won his second (and last) Grand Slam singles title in Australia in 2005, which he said meant even more to him.

But there could have been so many more. Injuries and indifference, ultimately, intervened.

Curiously, also Wednesday, Safin was joined in imminent retirement by Fabrice Santoro. He lost to Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. It could be argued that the 36-year-old Frenchman, the oldest player in the draw, is the anti-Safin.

He wasn't the biggest guy, and he certainly didn't possess the big weapons that bring success in today's game, but he had dazzling hands and a powerful sense of perseverance. Santoro, with his ubiquitous slices, probably squeezed more out of his meager gifts than anyone else of his time.

Santoro's first Grand Slam event was the 1989 French Open, and this was his 69th Grand Slam and final appearance -- more than any other player in the Open era. He advanced past the third round only four times, most notably reaching the quarterfinals of the 2006 Australian Open.

When Wednesday's match ended, Santoro sat in his changeover chair and took a long drink of water. He was still there when Ferrero left the court.

He was asked in a courtside interview what he would miss most.

"Being on the court," he said. "Seeing all those people around. When you go over 30, it doesn't matter, more or less, if you lose. You're just enjoying it."

Safin said several times he had no regrets in his career. He seemed to mean it. He spoke with pride about his career, which brought him 15 singles titles and more than $14 million in prize money.

[+] Enlarge

AP Photo/Bob ChildAfter two decades, the guileful Fabrice Santoro bids farewell to Grand Slam tennis.

"There wasn't a rich father or rich family that paid for everything that I have right now, so I worked my way," Safin said.

He said he won't miss the constant attention, the practice sessions and the zoo-like crowds at the U.S. Open. The only time he grew even remotely passionate was in defense of his sister, Dinara Safina, who has been criticized for being ranked No. 1 -- without winning a major title.

"Everybody is giving her a hard time -- 'Are you really No. 1 in the world?'" Safin said. "Yes. Yes, she's really No. 1 in the world. Serena [Williams], even though she won two Grand Slams this year, she's No. 2. Sorry, but that's the way [it is]. Deal with that.

"Everybody is hitting on her and giving her a hard time. Leave her alone. It's all just to you guys. Make her happy."

Safin is tired of answering questions about what he's going to do next. When told that Novak Djokovic had said Safin was planning to climb a mountain in South America, Safin seemed irritated.

"Djokovic has the breaking news, huh?" Safin said. "I think he should keep his mind into tennis instead of giving up my private life."

Following his last major appearance, he was funny and blunt and sometimes painfully self-deprecating -- typical Safin. Those qualities are not often found in tennis, even singularly, and they will be missed.

"So miracles really happen," Safin said. "I won the lottery. I can't really describe it; it has no logic. Everything fit perfectly together, and here I am."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.