Safin bids farewell to tennis after US exit

MARAT SAFIN’s famously emotional temperament was kept in check as he reflected on his elimination from his last-ever grand slam tournament at Flushing Meadows yesterday.

The former world number one has announced he will retire at the end of this season but his final US Open outing came to an end at the first hurdle as he lost 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 to Austria’s Jurgen Melzer at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

“I need to get away from tennis for some time to realise what I’ll miss,” said Safin.