MVN: Most Valuable Network

 After a 6-0, 7-6(4) first round loss at the Paris Masters to Juan Monaco on Monday, enigmatic Marat Safin claims he is contemplating retirement from professional tennis.

"I need to think everything through. I have no pressure and I have nothing to prove or show. I just want to be comfortable with my decision, whatever I will take."

"I need to sit down and relax and just enjoy my life without any tennis (for) a couple of months and then I will see," Safin said. "If I feel like I want to continue to play, I will. If not, it will be over."

While Safin has failed to win a tournament since his Grand Slam victory in Australia in 2005, he has still displayed some strong results in 2008. Despite a lackluster 24-24 record on tour this year, he has managed to make the semi-finals of Wimbledon, and the finals in Moscow just over two weeks ago.

Often players will say things in post-match press conferences that they end up regretting later on, or simply forgetting about. Lets hope that this is one of those instances. While consistency has never been one of Safin's strong points, tennis fans accross the globe certainly appreciate his volatile and occasionally brilliant play on the court. The tour would be much less enjoyable without his unique brand of tennis to watch.