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9/2/09 11:49 PM | Ricky Dimon
Marat Safin and Fabrice Santoro play their final Grand Slam matches on Wednesday afternoon. Safin loses to Jurgen Melzer, while Santoro falls to Juan Carlos Ferrero.
Jurgen Melzer d. Marat Safin 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4
Safin finished off his U.S. Open and Grand Slam career in disappointing fashion, succumbing to Melzer in two hours and 13 minutes on Wednesday. The two-time slam champion got of to a strong start, breaking his opponent twice in the first set and taking it with ease. From then on, however, Melzer was in complete control. The veteran Austrian broke Safin at 5-4 in the second frame of play and never looked back. He did not face a single break points in sets three and four. Melzer finished with 40 winners and 28 unforced errors, while Safin recorded almost identical stats by striking 40 winners to 29 mistakes. Next up for Melzer is either Juan Martin Del Potro or Juan Monaco.
(24) Juan Carlos Ferrero d. Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Santoro has played his fair share of memorable matches in New York, but faced with the tough task of going up against an in-form Ferrero in the first round, he was unable to make his final contest competitive. Ferrero dismissed the 35-year-old Frenchman in two hours and seven minutes courtesy of a near flawless display of tennis. The Spaniard, a former world No. 1 who has made his way back up to No. 25 in the world, blasted an incredible 57 winners in just three sets while committing a mere 17 unforced errors. A ruthless Ferrero broke serve seven times, and there was little Santoro could do despite hitting 35 winners to only 18 errors. "The Mosquito" awaits either Philipp Petzschner or Sergiy Stakhovsky in round two.
Safin: "It's okay. It's the end. So just it's the last one. Could have been better ending, but still okay. I'm looking forward to afterwards my career, so I have no regrets. I don't care about losses anymore. I'm retiring, so my head is already in afterwards tennis rather than here."
Santoro: I love my sport. I did it in this life for so many years. I was so happy to be on the court. You can't do it if you're not completely in love with your sport. Can you do it for two, five, eight years maybe, but not 21. One thing I will never forget for sure is when Pete (Sampras) said in Indian Wells, probably 2000, he's a magician. That's one I will never forget.
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