Shanghai, Oct 15 (DPA) Marat Safin claims he raised the issue of the 11-month gruelling Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) season five years ago though without success.
“In 2004, we had this discussion at the Olympic Games with [Andy] Roddick,” said the 29-year-old Russian who plans to retire next month after a decade and a half in the sport.

“I was saying that the season is too long - we should make it shorter, and the guys, they jumped on me, like I was the one who was wrong,” he said.

“So look at all of them - everybody is falling apart,” Safin said. “Everybody is getting injured left and right, and everybody is complaining the season is long. It takes six years to realize that something is wrong?

“It’s a beautiful sport, so why kill the players and make the calendar a 12-month affair?”

This week at the Shanghai Masters has seen a revival of the annual complaint about the gruelling nature of the campaign with Roddick leading the verbal charge this time.

The American ironically exited a day later when he pulled up short with a knee injury. US Open winner Juan Del Potro also failed to finish in his second disastrous showing since New York with the Argentine heading home and hoping to resume in a few weeks after suffering wrist tendinitis.

Rafael Nadal also lent his support - somewhat diluted by the fact that the player who faces a Davis Cup final the first week of December has also signed on for a $250,000-exhibition from New Year’s Eve in Abu Dhabi.