So it came down to Paris.  Marat Safin had finally made peace with his career, and he ended it at the tournament that he has the most success, the Paris Indoors.  Fans hoping for one last hurrah got a glimmer of hope that the big Russian could take down the bigger Argentine, Juan Martin del Potro.

Although Safin fought to a third set, it wasn’t enough, and del Potro won 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. The tournament organizers had to know that he wouldn’t make it too deep.  They did a video retrospective.  Players current and past came by to congratulate him, including Swiss player, Marc Rosset, a long-time Safin friend.

Gilles Simon, Tommy Robredo, Cedric Pioline, and an array of other players came to say goodbye to the talented, but highly erratic, Marat Safin.

Safin wouldn’t be Safin if he didn’t say something else controversial.  On the day before his last match, he said Agassi should return the money he made to the ATP for his admission of crystal meth use.  Most people regarded that statement as ludicrous, and certainly, Agassi isn’t beating a path to the ATP bank to return his millions.

Tennis fans will shake their heads, wondering how someone so talented never quite fulfilled his potential.  The emotional Swiss player, Roger Federer, who gave a video goodbye rather than attend in person, was the role model, a guy who used to wear his emotions on his sleeve, and whose emotions got in the way of success.

Federer learn to rein in his passions, and channel them to the exemplary player he is today.  Marat Safin never quite got there.  To be fair, he won two Slams, the US Open and the Australian Open, and that puts him in somewhat rare company.  Cedric Pioline served as emcee and he only made two Slam finals, winning neither.

Many had thought he would be Federer’s chief rival, along with Lleyton Hewitt and Andy Roddick, but he only ever came close to achieving this in an epic match in the 2005 Australian Open semifinals, which he won, 5-7. 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(6), 9-7.  He would take the title over Lleyton Hewitt in the final.  Indeed, Hewitt had beaten Andy Roddick in four sets in the other semis, making this the tournament of Safin’s generation.  All his top peers minus perhaps Juan Carlos Ferrero stood in the semifinals.

Marat suffered knee injuries in 2005 and 2006 that hampered his career.  Indeed, he claimed he was never the same player, unable to run down shots that he used to.  He had a last hurrah in 2008 when he made a run to Wimbledon semifinals, losing handily to Roger Federer, but upsetting Novak Djokovic in the 2nd round.  Wimbledon was always Marat’s weakest surface.  Despite a game that seemed friendly to grass, perhaps his height or movement or something affected his ability to excel on grass.

Safin didn’t give a particularly emotional speech a la Agassi.  He didn’t end with a heroic victory, like Agassi over Baghdatis.  When asked what memory he would cherish the most, he pointed to the memory he had today.  He saw one chapter of his life closing, with friends, peers, and fans looking over, and was ready to start the next chapter.  This moment in time was the culmination of a dozen years spent on the tour, travelling, playing, and yes, getting into the occasional fight, and breaking the occasional racquet.

It’s said many champions regret leaving their careers.  Their growing age, their declining skills, the ascendancy of those with more talent are a reminders they wish to quell by staying just a bit longer.  Safin doesn’t seem like that kind of player.  He seems content with his decision.  He had a pretty good career, he’d probably say, better than most.  He learned a lot about the world.  And fans?  Perhaps Safin seemed more real to them, full of talent, but full of rage.  How many of us get close to achieving our potential?  Safin didn’t become Federer, but he did get to number 1.  He did win some Slams.  It’s a career most players would be jealous of.

So, goodbye, Marat.  May you find the life ahead as meaningful as the one you’re leaving behind.