Former world No. 1 Marat Safin's Grand Slam career ended with a first round loss to Jurgen Melzer at the US Open.
Former champ comes up short in final major appearance
Marat Safin waved farewell to Flushing Meadows on Wednesday as the former world number one's Grand Slam career came to an abrupt end with a 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 defeat to Austrian Jurgen Melzer in the first round of the US Open.
Safin, who famously dethroned Pete Sampras to win the 2000 New York event, announced at the start of the campaign that this would be his final season.
The 29-year-old Russian, who also won the Australian Open in 2005, has enjoyed 15 titles over his 12-year-career, the last of them his second major at Melbourne.
Safin, who fired 15 aces in his goodbye match, had lost three of four prior meetings with Melzer, who will face Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round after the sixth seed overcame compatriot Juan Monaco 6-3 6-3 6-1.
Giving the faithful at Louis Armstrong Stadium one final jawing session with an umpire, Safin complained his raised arm was not a call for review but was still happy to take the point when the first-set call went his way.
Key moment
Safin won the first set in 27 minutes but could not manage a break chance in the second, which he surrendered by netting a backhand for the lone break in the last game. Melzer broke in the sixth game of the third set and served out.
The telling point came at 2-2 in the fourth set on Safin's serve. He struggled to reach two returns, twice lunging in vain, and then hit a forehand long.
Safin then rolled back the years with two aces but a second-serve was blasted back for an uncontested winner to surrender the break, Safin staring at the ball long after it had passed him by.
Melzer held serve three more times to end matters after two hours 13 minutes. The crowd stood and applauded in tribute while Safin grabbed his bag, waved his right hand in the air and walked off the court for the final time.
In the same quarter of the draw, 24th seed and former US Open finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero got his campaign under way with a straight sets victory over veteran Fabrice Santoro.
Spaniard Ferrero beat his ever-present French opponent 6-4 6-3 6-3 and will face either Philipp Petzschner or Sergiy Stakhovsky in the next round.
