Marat Safin strutted off the Grand Slam stage with little of the sound or fury that accompanied so much of his combustible career. No post-match pomp-and-circumstance for the two-time major champion and former No 1-ranked player. No on-court interview. No bow to the crowd. And for the record: No broken racquets. When Safin finished losing meekly to Jurgen Melzer of Austria in a fairly uneventful 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4 first-round exit at the US Open on Wednesday,the big Russian simply collected his things and strode away with a quick wave. Looking for some sentimentality? Not even a trace. Its okay. Its the end. So,just,its the last one. Could have been better ending,but still okay, Safin said. I dont care about losses anymore. Fitting site The 29-year-old Safin is retiring at the end of the season,so this trip to Flushing Meadows marked his last Grand Slam tournament. Its a fitting site for his finale: Safin burst onto the scene by upsetting Pete Sampras to win the 2000 US Open. He called that victory just a miracle for me. I really didnt believe I could get anywhere closer to the final of a Grand Slam. And then,after beating Sampras,I never really understood what happened, Safin said. It was difficult,because I was 20 years old. I wasnt ready for this,so its really difficult to understand it. I wasnt prepared. Safin certainly gained a reputation for enjoying his status as a well-paid and popular sports star. Some say he frittered away the talent the powerful serves,groundstrokes and the tremendous court coverage. He reached No 1 in November 2000,before injuries and other issues dropped him from the top rather swiftly. Safin lost two major finals before adding a second Grand Slam title at the 2005 Australian Open. But that would be it. He would never win another title of any sort,major or otherwise. Safins departure,though,deprives tennis of one its more outlandish and outspoken stars though. This is a guy,after all,who once celebrated a great shot at the French Open by grabbing his white shorts and tugging them down to his thighs. Safin was penalised a point for that he also was docked $500 for throwing a racket in the same match then later ranted: All of the people who run the sport,they have no clue. They do everything possible to,you know,just take away the entertainment. As much of a talker as he is,Safin grew weary this year of speaking about his retirement. Its too many questions about what Im going to do,why Im retiring,and this and that. So I answer the same question,I dont know,a thousand times. Just go on Google,and you have the same answer, he said on Wednesday. The plan is to wrap things up at the Paris Masters in November. As for what comes after that,Safin wont say. Im different than another person who wants to do nothing for the rest of the life and talk nonsense on ESPN,talk about my match against Sampras, Safin said. I will not do that. I want to achieve something else. Oudin beats Dementieva American teenager Melanie Oudin has beaten No 4-seeded Elena Dementieva in the second round of the US Open. The 70th-ranked Oudin came back to stun Dementieva 5-7 6-4 6-3 on Thursday. The 17-year-old Oudin had never won a US Open match until this week. She had never won a Grand Slam match until reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon this year. Now Oudin will face three-time major champion Maria Sharapova or Christina McHale in the third round. Top-ranked Dinara Safina overcame another shaky day to advance to the third round with a 6-7 (5) 6-2 6-3 win over Kristina Barrois. Tommy Haas,seeded No 20,defeated Robert Kendrick. On the women side,13th-seeded Nadia Petrova advanced.
