Guys this so good to read all your posts. Everybody is so excited and happy, it's just GREAT to share this all together!
I've translated an article from French newspaper
L'Equipe. There was also a transcript of Marat's post-match itw, a little bit longer than the article you posted Perri, but i think we'll easily find other quotations on the net so i won't copy it here
And there was also a verrrrrrrryyyyyy good itw/article of Peter (I LOVE HIM! ;D), explaining what he had to change in Marat's game and attitude (attitude more than game
), and explaining when Marat became conscious of the changes he had to do. I don't think it's an itw made by the French papers, i think he answered questions from all journos... so i'll try to find it somewhere (or if anyone finds it, pls post it!! ;D). If it's not possible i'll find some time to translate it back to english.
Ok, enough talking, here is the article:
L’Equipe. 08/11/04
THE TSAR ENSURES REGENCY.
With his 3rd victory in Paris, Marat Safin proved that in the absence of Roger Federer he’s dominating the circuit.Straight winner of Radek Stepanek (6-3 7-6 6-3), the Russian won for the first time in a stadium where he also won a Davis Cup. He’s establishing himself as a challenger for the Masters Cup in a week, and as the rival of the best players for next year.
In 3 weeks, the ATP Tour, bereft of Roger Federer, has found his substitute boss. One of those despots who drive off the head-hunters’ attacks and who put them in their places. Finding again the confidence that allowed him to become the youngest #1 player of the ATP rankings after his first victory on his favourite court in November 2000, Marat Safin just became the first man to win the 2 Masters Series of the Fall season, in Madrid and in Paris.
With his final win over Stepanek, he also equalled Boris Becker in having won his 3rd title in Bercy, a place where he keeps an advantage over the German: he also won a Davis cup final here (in 2002) and he lost only 2 matches whereas his predecessor lost 7 of them. One week before the Masters begins, there is no doubt: Marat Safin has suddenly become the true challenger of Federer, even ahead of Andy Roddick and Lleyton Hewitt, who still precede him in the rankings.
We start to lick our chops when thinking of a confrontation between the Swiss and this restored rival in Houston. Even though Federer leads 5-1 in their head to head statistics, including a victory in the final of the last Australian Open, the Swiss has probably never met Safin being so resolute and self-assured. Within 2 tournaments, in Madrid and in Paris, the Russian had many occasions to show himself he’s on his way back to his highest level of play.
More powerful than Hewitt, as we could see last Friday, and more complete than Roddick in defence and also when going up to the net, he embodies the ideal challenger. May he find again some of the freshness he was obviously lacking yesterday, after a very busy month, and then he should give the cowboys and cowgirls of Houston a good shake.
Stepanek’s weaknessesMarat wasn’t the only one to feel tired yesterday. Even though he played less during October than the Russian did, Radek Stepanek had worked like mad in Paris because he played in the qualifications draw and then didn’t have a bye in the first round, which means he had played 3 matches more than Safin to go through the final.
Despite the fact he was showing good will, he was lacking energy and thus failed to join Roberto Carretero and Albert Portas in the select club of “qualifiers” having won a Masters Series (Hamburg 1996 and 2001). He had to content himself with being a runner-up, like Alberto Mancini (Rome 1991), Harel Levy (Toronto 2000, defeated by Safin), and Max Mirnyi (Stuttgart 2001). None of those 5 men has then seen his career change course, not even Mancini who had won 2 Masters Series in Monte Carlo and Rome 2 years before. It is doubtful that Radek Stepanek’s career will suddenly jump over a high orbit after “the best week of his career” as he called it in the on-court interview.
It’s true that the Czech will have the satisfaction to enter the top 50 today. He probably can maintain himself into it, and perhaps even do better, but at 25 years already, it would be surprising if he could reach the highest level of the game, because this final has brought some of his weaknesses to light.
Indeed, Marat Safin didn’t need much time to apply his first effective strategy. He probably learned from his loss against the same man one month ago in Moscow. He started by pounding Stepanek’s forehand. As bony as Lendl, and wearing one of those tight outfits that his fellow countryman wouldn’t have disclaimed, Stepanek also has an old-style forehand: his arm is stiff, and the grip almost neutral with just a kinf of move of his shoulder to put spin on the ball, but not much.
To sum up, his forehand was weak in front of his opponent’s power and under the pressure of the event. The entrance in a “show biz” style, that is to say in a beam of light going through the darkness of the stadium, couldn’t help him to relax. Less than an hour later, Safin, calm and confident, was leading 6-3, 2-1 with an early break in the second set.
The magic bandanaThis is the moment Stepanek chose to copy his mentor, Petr Korda, and to put a bandana round his head, perhaps to focus more. The headband also gave him a martial look, like a Samurai before the attack.
(Chris and Myke ;D ) Appearances weren’t deceptive: he went up to the net more often, and added a little speed in his shots which unhorsed Safin at the very moment the Russian was thinking about getting his breath back. Stepanek thus broke immediately, and with his new-found confidence he started a new match against an adversary whose physical and mental tiredness became visible.
Irritated by Stepanek’s dropshots from the baseline and dropshots up to the net, and put under pressure by the attacks the Czech made, Safin was no longer quite so high and mighty. The crowd, which was almost filling all the rows in the stadium, couldn’t believe what they saw: “their” champion was wavering. The so-called champion handled well, by some miracle, in the tiebreak of the second set, in which the Czech led by 4 points to 2. But Marat heaved himself up, like in his previous matches, with a quick cross-court backhand. An ugly volley from Stepanek was then called out and gave the set to Marat.
Leading by 2 sets to love, Safin had nothing to fear. He found a bit of the spirit, and waited for the right moment before he broke a last time to lead 5-3. Unable to serve when he was supposed to conclude, he had to save 2 break points again before Stepanek’s bad return gave him the victory. Last thing he had to do was to bend down to collect the tree-trophy from the hands of young Emile Le Pennec, gold medallist at the asymmetric bars in Athens.
Julien Reboullet
;D Especially for you Teresa baby - some beautiful shots from Marat and the handshake at the net! And you can hear the Russian language, they just speak about the match, nothing earth-shattering! ;D
even when he's speaking, because of the damn translator 
