LONDON - MARAT Safin suffered an early Wimbledon farewell on Tuesday as the former world number one slumped to a shock 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 first round defeat against American qualifier Jesse Levine.

Safin, the 14th seed, was playing his final Wimbledon before retiring at the end of the year, but his hopes of emulating last year's run to the semi-finals were shattered by a player ranked 109 places below in the ATP standings.

Somehow it was fitting that Safin should bow out in such dramatic fashion. The 29-year-old has entertained and infuriated in equal measure during his often volatile 12-year career, with victory at the Australian and US Opens emphasising his undoubted talent.

But Safin has earned headlines as much for his controversial views and spectacular racquet abuse - he claims to have broken over 700 - as his performances on court.

Safin has grown tired of living his life on the tour. So a couple of hours after his sister Darina Safina eased through her opening match in the women's singles, Safin began his valedictory tour of the Grand Slam that encapsulates why he is such an enigma.

His big-serving game should be perfectly suited to success on the grass courts of south west London. But Safin would use his trips to the All England Club to make it clear he thought grass should only be used for grazing cows.

Then suddenly he found his feet at Wimbledon last year and became the first Russian to reach the semi-finals before losing to Roger Federer.

Safin was expected to go some way in the tournament again this year, but Levine, a Jewish Canadian-born American, broke early in the first set and repeated the trick to move 4-1 ahead.

The prospect of an ignominious exit seemed to stir Safin into life. He broke in the fourth game of the second set and looked more at ease as he levelled the match. But Safin found it much hard to get on top during a tighter third set. It went to a tie-break and Levine, going for broke on every shot, flustered Safin to such an extent that he emerged with a two sets to one lead.

All the old doubts about playing on grass must have been churning through his mind and Levine, still playing with admirable poise for such a novice, broke twice in the fourth set to earn a clash against Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas in the second round. -- AFP