Marat Safin has vowed to keep playing Wimbledon despite crashing out in the third round to Spain's Feliciano Lopez.

After losing in the first round last year - to Tim Henman's conqueror Dmitry Tursunov - Safin said he ''hated'' playing on grass and would not return to the All England Club.

A straight-sets defeat to 26th seed Lopez might have been expected to elicit a similar response but the fifth-seeded Russian promised he would be back next year after previously looking a good outside tip for the title.

''For the next four or five years, for sure,'' said Safin. ''I can manage it. It's only two weeks on grass so it doesn't take much.''

Safin, who won his first two matches without dropping a set after reaching the final of the warm-up event in Halle, added: ''I think the way I've been playing for the past two weeks is great.

'' I'm satisfied I finally found my game on grass. I was a little bit unlucky with the draw but I've nothing to complain about. I'm pretty happy.

''I didn't take my opportunities in the beginning. I couldn't adjust my game to him. I was struggling with the returning of the serve. I just couldn't find my game there.

''I played very well against Srichaphan and Philippoussis in the first two rounds. In Halle I played great tennis. I think I had been at the same level as Australia.

''Today I was a little bit unlucky. Like I always said on grass one, two balls decide the match. I didn't take my opportunities in the first set at 15-40 to break back. If I would have won the first one I think the match would be completely different.''

Lopez had never failed to reach the third round in three appearances at the All England Club and quickly had Safin showing signs of frustration, the Russian blasting a ball out of court after wasting two break points and receiving a warning from the umpire for his trouble.

A number of bad line calls added to Safin's woes and Lopez admitted: ''I think we had a lot of wrong calls today, on Marat's side and mine. But it's something that usually happens."