Safin determined to crank up lifestyle post retirement (French Open diary)

PARIS - Marat Safin, well-remembered for dropping his shorts during a French Open match several years ago, insists he’s not a bad boy of tennis.

“Well, I don’t know about bad boy,” said the soon-to-retire Russian after exiting at Roland Garros in the second round. “I’m not a bad boy, but hopefully I can change.”

Safin will end his chequered and colourful career in November, walking away with his Grand Slam titles, the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open.

The long-time playboy of the courts is determined to crank up his fun-loving lifestyle when he finally packs in his racket. “Not a lot of tennis players have managed to have a great life afterwards with tennis.

“With all the respect, I want to try to be the guy who ends up doing something else and be good at it.”

Safin already sports a colourful history. He was famous for criticising food at Grand Slams to turning up at this year’s Hopman Cup in Australia with a black eye, the result of a reported clash in a Moscow nightclub.

His company of females, who often support him from player boxes around the world, is also well known.

“So that’s what I’m going to try,” Safin said of the coming change. “It’s not an easy one, especially getting yourself so many years into tennis to change something else is going to be a tough one. I’ll take my chances.”.

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Dokic drama as back trouble derails promising comeback

Jelena Dokic hopes she can overcome the back injury that forced her to pull out of the match against the 2004 Paris finalist Elena Dementieva here Thursday.

Jelena left the court in tears after seeing a trainer in the second set while on way to an apparent win.

“I was supposed to play the doubles, I don’t think that will happen now,” said Dokic, who is now considering her chances of playing the summer grass-court season. “I’ll have an MRI and we’ll go from there.

“If nothing shows up and if it’s nothing too serious, then I’ll just really take good care of it and focus on that and just getting stronger in general.”

Dokic made a career comeback with an Australian Open quarter-final in January and was hoping to continue the momentum in Paris. She easily won the first set 6-2 before the problems truck unexpectedly.

“I had to call the trainer I just couldn’t move. Whatever I played, two or three games, I was in so much pain. Nothing like that has ever happened to me except when I rolled my ankle at the Australian Open,i t’s not my time at the Grand Slams.

“But it happens. I’m not 15 anymore so it’s time probably to take more care now and I just really, really hope it’s nothing serious.”