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Martin calls it quits after first round
Todd Martin announced his retirement yesterday after he failed to close out the fourth set in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 loss to No. 31 Fabrice Santoro.
- Indo-Asian News Service
- Updated: February 25, 2007 09:08 AM IST
Read Time:2 min
New York:
Todd Martin announced his retirement yesterday after he failed to close out the fourth set in a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 loss to No. 31 Fabrice Santoro of France in the first round of the U S Open. Martin, 34, was the runner-up at the 1999 U S Open, losing to Andre Agassi - in five sets, of course, and at the 1994 Australian Open, losing to Pete Sampras. He was a semifinalist at four other Grand Slam tournaments, most recently the 2000 U S Open, and helped the United States win the 1995 Davis Cup. "As a competitor he was as good as they came, top notch," said Agassi. Martin, who served two stints as president of the ATP Player Council, reached a career-high ranking of No. 4 in 1999. He entered the U S Open ranked 96th. Taking time off While he was struggling to keep up with Santoro's mixture of shots of varying speeds and angles, Martin was thinking about keeping his career going. "Halfway through the match I'm thinking, 'Geez, how do I get a message to U S Open director Jim Curley not to make any type of announcement, I'm still in it, I'm still going," Martin said. Martin led 5-4 in the fourth set, and appeared headed to go the distance. But Martin, who was treated for leg cramps, got broken while serving for the fourth set, then again in the final game. When the match ended, the crowd was told that Martin was retiring. He was given a microphone, and he thanked his wife, 1 1/2-year-old son, and coaches. "I'm going to be in tears in a moment," Martin told the fans, who gave him a standing ovation. (AP)Topics mentioned in this article
Tennis
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