Safin may quit after Paris defeat

Safin won his first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2000

Marat Safin admitted he is considering retirement after yet another disappointing defeat, this time in the first round of the Paris Masters.

The Russian, a former US and Australian Open champion and world number one, went down 6-0 7-6 (7-4) to Juan Monaco.

"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," said the 28-year-old.

"If I feel like I want to continue to play, I will. If not, it will be over."

Safin has not won a title since the 2005 Australian Open and is currently ranked 31st in the world, having slipped as far as 90th in March.

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He did make his first final for two years in Moscow earlier this month but suffered a morale-sapping loss to compatriot Igor Kunitsyn.

"I need to think everything through," he said. "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've been struggling throughout my career with injuries left and right.

"It's a little bit uncomfortable to find yourself in the top 10 for many years and to find yourself ranked 70 and 30 and 50.... It's not really a comfortable position."