Marat Safin

Marat Safin's exile from tennis didn't last long - he's playing at a seniors event to be held on March 12-14 in Rio de Janeiro.

The Russian will be joined in the eight-man field by Jim Courier, Mats Wilander, Mark Philippoussis, Cedric Pioline, Wayne Ferreira, Mikael Pernfors and Fernando Meligeni.

Safin, who has just turned 30, will make his debut on the senior circuit at an event next month at the 2010 Rio Champions Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Bit young for the Seniors Tour imho.

Good bye Marat and thanx for the memories... Here's a nice little tribute to send you off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiOsvbQDVUc&feature=player_embedded

Marat Safin wanted to make sure we did not overlook how hard he had worked over 12 years as a professional to be able to make playing tennis look as easy as he did. And he went out of the sport yesterday trying everything he could to stay with a 20-year-old who is the epitome of its brutal vogue, eventually losing 6-4, 5-7, 6-4.
When Safin was Juan Martín del Potro’s age, he had won his first grand-slam tournament, and like the Argentinian, it was the US Open, where he defeated Pete Sampras in 2000 in a manner every bit as mind-boggling as Del Potro’s success two months ago against Roger Federer in New York. That the Russian could repeat that triumph only once more, against Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the 2005 Australian Open, was due to his brittle temperament, the wrist injury that cost him the best part of the 2003 season and being probably too good for his own good.
Yes, the image most carry of the 29-year-old who spent a year saying goodbye is that of splintered rackets and colourful outbursts; but who, Federer apart in the past decade, had more gold in his racket arm or a game of such rounded artistry?
His farewell press conference was a masterpiece of spontaneous affection to those who sat in judgment on him — “a lot of the guys in here have been great to me, which is nice because it’s a very cruel world,” he said — and lucidity about the toll the sport can take. True, you would not have been surprised had it been Safin, rather than Andre Agassi, who unravelled, for he tumbled into the seventies in the world rankings six years ago but kept it all together.
“You’re stressed 24/7,” he said of tennis. “This is what I hate about it. It is just too much. There is no rest for the brain. In a different sport, soccer, hockey, basketball, you sign a contract, and no matter how you played, you play decent, you make your money. Here it’s all up to exact moment. It’s a tough living.”
Now, as he said, “I gotta move my ass, I have to be really smart and move very fast with the decisions I’m going to make.”
Tennis is a poorer place this week. Fabrice Santoro, the French magician, retired and said it was as if he had gone into mourning. Safin was not so melancholy. The reaction of the crowd — a full house for a Wednesday afternoon was testament to his popularity — was generous, as it should have been. The Russian asked that we remembered his decency and that after such a career, he had not made a single enemy. That, in itself, is worth treasuring.

PARIS (AP)—U.S. Open champion Juan Manuel del Potro ended Marat Safin’s career Wednesday, defeating the two-time Grand Slam title winner 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 in the second round of the Paris Masters.

The 29-year-old Safin, a three-time Paris Masters champion, played his last match in style, showing the Parisian crowd some terrific baseline winners, a fine touch at the net and strong first serves. But the Russian also made some horrendous unforced errors and threw his racket.

“I knew that I had not many chances to beat him,” Safin said following a small ceremony on center court. “But I played pretty well, had pretty close calls and had a chance.”

Safin, a former No. 1 player, won the 2000 U.S. Open and 2005 Australian Open.

“Today I will put all my memories, all my wins and losses in a small box,” Safin said after receiving a special trophy. “Today a door is closed, hopefully another one will open.”

Safin said after he lost to Melzer recently that losses don't bother him.

It seems he's changed his tune.
He made this comment after he lost to Chiudinelli in Bangkok:

"I may be retiring, but I still want to win. I don't want to give away any matches. I really hate to lose."

players* Nalbandian*

players*

look at the player that Gasquet has lost to this year: Super Stephanek,Nalbadian, Lost to Gonzo in a tense battle, unluckily lost to PHM. Now look at the player he has beaten this year: Tsonga,Simon,Tursunov,Chardy. Safin has only defeat Navarro Ivan,GGL, lu and Bolelli but it was an exhib match.Lost to Federer and Clement

Just heard an interview with Safin - he admits he has no chance against Federer!