Victorious Defeat for Russian's Marat Safin in China Open - - Cheers, Applause And a Standing Ovation at National Tennis Center in Beijing

He may have lost his match against Rafael Nadal, but Marat Safin was still king of the court at least for one more night.

With cheers and applause from a standing ovation at National Tennis Center in Beijing, Safin bid farewell to his Chinese fans on Friday after losing to top seed Nadal 6-3, 6-1 at the China Open singles quarterfinals.

After the loss, the Russian star and former world No 1 said goodbye in a farewell party the organizers of the event held especially for him.

"I'm retiring at the end of this year and it's the last time I will play in this tournament here," Safin announced. "It's great to say thank you and I'm glad to see all of you here. I had a great time and I never thought that I could see so many fans here. You cheered for me more than Rafael. It's been a great week here. It's a really warm and great feeling."

The 29-year-old stated earlier that he would retire at the end of this season before his stop in Beijing. He will play in three more tournaments in Shanghai, St. Petersburg and Paris.

The China Open organizers had been planning the farewell party for a long time, an act that moved the current world No 59 a great deal.

"I knew a little bit of this but I didn't know it's going to be so official," he said "It's very nice for organizers to do this for players. It's impossible to describe the feeling right now."

At the ceremony, organizers presented a huge panel with hundreds of photos of his fans, as well as a big traditional Chinese seal with four Chinese characters: "Sa Fen Zhi Yin" that translates to "Safin's Seal".

Videos featuring Safin's fans, friends as well as sister Dinara Safina were also played on the big screen. A number of fans in the stands were visibly tearing during the ceremony.

As for life after tennis, Safin said he had no plans as of right now. He said he wanted to get a good rest.

"I will take a couple of months off to relax. I've been doing this for 25 years. I have to wake up," he said.

The two-time Grand Slam winner also gained respect from his opponent.

"I'm happy he ended up his China Open like this. It's an important loss for tennis. Marat is a very important player for tennis and for the fans. We are going to miss him a lot," said Nadal.

Nadal is also a big fan favorite at the China Open, but the Spanish world No 2 had to relent the stage to Safin on Friday night despite showing more speed and firepower on the court.