Safin says Agassi could ease his worried mind with refund

Marat SafinParis - Marat Safin says Andre Agassi can ease his troubled mind over his guilt at taking drugs and tanking a match more than a decade ago with a simple plan - give back his millions in prize money.

The soon-to-retire Russian made the suggestion at the Paris Masters after a win in the first round which extended his career by one more match.

Safin is done with tennis after his exit at Bercy, where he owns three titles.

"He feels guilty? So let him just give back his titles, money, his Grand Slams!" Safin told the French sports daily L'Equipe. "If he is so fair play, he should go all the way.

"The ATP has a bank account, he can refund if he wants to."

Safin is also wondering why Agassi chose to bare all in his new autobiography which detailed his use of crystal meth in 1997, his lying in a letter to the ATP to escape punishment and also revealed that he tanked a 1996 Australian Open match so as not to play Boris Becker in a final.

But the colourful Safin says a tell-all book is definitely not a part of his post-tennis plans.

"I won't write an biography, I don't need any money. The question is: why did he do it?" Safin said. "What's done is done, he hopes to sell more books. But he is completely stupid!"

"The ATP kept his secret so why be so cruel with them? There are times you need to be able to shut up." (dpa)