Dubai Duty Free Men's Open

[maratisgr8t]

Damn! I wish Roger wasnt defending his title. Now that Marat has beaten him in the big Australian slam, he has the mentality that tells him he knows he can beat him, when no-one else can. So hopefully if they come up against one another, Marat can do it again. He really needs to hold onto this new self belief of his, if he wants to get to No. 1. He has the talent, it's like it always is with Marat, up to him to keep it right inside his head. Damn, I wish we got the tournament televised here. I dont have cable/satellite anymore, and only get to see the GS's on tv, pretty bloody cruel. I will, of course, be rooting for Safin to win Dubai. Stay on a roll Marat and win more tournys this year and get to No. 1!

[SAFINNO1]

anyway back to business now article posted on tournament website.

Safin The Entertainer

- Big hitting Russian ready for Dubai Men's Open -



Dubai, UAE, February 18, 2005: The Dubai Tennis Championships will feature not just one of the giants of the game, but one of its greatest characters.

Marat Safin believes it is important to give something extra to his fans, and to do more than just go through the motions on court while ignoring those who have paid to watch him. Sometimes, it gets him into trouble, and he has drawn condemnation from some quarters for his on-court antics.

He even briefly lowered his shorts on Court Central at Roland Garros last year. He had some people choking on their caviar, but Marat had hit a good shot and "wanted to celebrate".

"Marat Safin is a larger than life character," said Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, owners and organizers of the Dubai Tennis Championships.

"He is certainly a crowd favourite in Dubai and we are greatly looking forward to his return to our tournament this year."

The criticism he sometimes receives is okay with him, though. He has the spectators who have paid their money and want to be entertained, in mind.

"Being on the court opens up the real character, what you have deep inside," he says. "I like to perform, and I understand because I am a person who also used to watch tennis. And I know how people feel and I know what they want to see.
"First of all I'm performing for myself, but in a way I am performing also for the people who have paid money. You have to respect the spectators."

"You can do bad things, you can break rackets, shout, whatever you do, but you have to do it in the right way without hurting the spectator, because he is the one giving you the job opportunity, being on the court and earning some money."

"If nobody watches there is no sponsor, and if there's no sponsor there is no job. So you have to give to the crowd, the spectators. They can tell you to move your legs, whatever, because the spectator's allowed to. But some players don't get it."

In the same way, the fact that he is a celebrity, especially at home in Moscow, might make him beware of what he does when he goes out on the town. People are watching, but it's not going to stop him having fun. There are some players who hide in the shadows to avoid attention, but Marat doesn't care what people might think of him.

"I'm the way I am. I'm not going to change because somebody saw me somewhere and doesn't like the way I am," he insists. "There's no problem. There are enough people that like me the way I am. I like what I'm doing and know what I'm doing, and I'm old enough to decide what is good and what is bad for me. If anyone has a problem with that they should keep it to themselves.
"There's nothing I would change about myself, although I can improve myself. Believe me, there are a bunch of people who tried to change me, and it didn't work."

"When I was 18 they told me that I would regret things when I'm 24, 25. But I don't regret one thing in my life, because I know what I'm doing. I like it, I'm enjoying it, and I don't care about the people who think I'm doing the wrong things. I don't care. I like what I'm doing."

The past year has seen Safin re-establish himself as a top contender, after a 2003 season that was ravaged by injury, particularly to his left wrist. He certainly came back with a bang, beating players like Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick to reach the 2004 Australian Open final. After starting the year at 77 he was able to climb back towards the top of the rankings, and that is one of the proudest achievements of his career.

"The biggest moment of my career was probably winning the US Open, but the second was to come back this past year," he said. "I started the year at 77 and I'm back to the top 10, so that's also not a bad thing. After being injured so long it is really difficult to get back in the top 10."

As for the time he was forced to spend away from the game? Well, there is a life outside of tennis.

"I didn't care. I enjoyed it," he insists. "Players should be able to enjoy being off the court. It's a big part of life, the tennis, everyone understands that. It's a job, but you also have to be able to enjoy life off the court.

"I'm sorry, but when you quit tennis it's over. Now I'm doing the best I can and I'm trying. You have good weeks and bad weeks, but I'm trying. I have no regrets. But I'm having a great time off the court also and that's why I'm happy. I'm a happy person.

"There have been low points, a lot of them, but you have to go through them to appreciate the great achievements of your career. If you don't have low points you can't realise and appreciate the good parts of your job.

"I've had a great career. Hopefully I will have achieved some things that I would like to achieve and I'll look back and say yes, it was a great time and now it's time to move on."

"Just give yourself the opportunity, give yourself the chance. You have to be happy with what you have achieved and don't take any notice if somebody tells you that you should have achieved much more. You have achieved what you have achieved. Nobody can take that away and you have a clear conscience."

Another highlight of Safin's career, of course, was beating Roger Federer to reach the Australian Open final last month, and then winning his second Grand Slam title with victory over hometown favourite Lleyton Hewitt.

Lifting another trophy, so long after he had made his breakthrough by beating Pete Sampras for the US Open crown back in 2000, lifted a monkey off his back.

"Yeah, it's just in a way more of a psychological thing," he said. "I have to forget about the final in 2000 because everything came so easy and it came in the most unexpected way. Then I lost two finals (at the Australian Open), and you start to have doubts with yourself, like could I really do this or not?

"It was the third time in a (Australian Open) final, you're playing against Hewitt, you beat Roger Federer. Basically you have a huge chance to beat him. Then I just got so nervous, so uptight because it was the last match. You understand the situation. It's the last match, you have to give your best, and I didn't want to lose it because then it's like nobody cares about the finalist basically. So, for me, that win was just a kind of a relief."

There had been talk, when he failed to follow up his US Open triumph, that he was wasting his talent. Too much partying, not enough practice. Rackets were smashed as he lost matches by losing control of his frustration when things turned against him.

"The people speak, you listen," he said. "The rumours, once it gets into your head, it's difficult to accept and you really start to believe that maybe it's who I am, you know. I have a talent, I'm a good player, but not good enough to be where I want to be. They say that's who you are, and it's the maximum you can get. It's a little bit disappointing for a person like me to hear that, because I really started to believe that's who I am."

To help him keep on track, indeed to reach another, more consistent level, last year Safin took on the man who had guided Roger Federer to his first Wimbledon title, Peter Lundgren.

"He just told me really to believe in myself," said Safin. "I'd never believed in myself before at all, until I started to work with him. We worked really hard. We communicate really well. He understood who I am and I understood what he wants from me. It took us basically four or five months before the results came. But then once the results came, they are there. They are continuing to come.
"He makes me believe that I can be a good player and I don't have so much doubt about myself, about my tennis. I am a little bit more calm and more confident."

Safin will hope to take over not just Federer's Australian Open crown, but his Dubai Tennis Championships title when play gets underway on Monday.

[SAFINNO1]

Old partnership renews friendship/rivalry???

Ljubicic sensing Safin double trouble


ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb 18 (Reuters) - Ivan Ljubicic made a pact a few weeks ago that he is now dreading -- to play doubles in Dubai with Marat Safin.

The Croatian will team up with the Russian for the first time in six years at next week's ATP tournament, and rubbed his head in amazement that he had actually agreed to the deal.

"Playing doubles with Marat, now that's what I call pressure," a wide-eyed Ljubicic said after reaching the semi-finals of the World Indoor Tournament on Friday.

"Maybe I made a mistake to say yes, we'll see. I've played with him a long time ago, maybe in 1997 or even 1998.

"He was very young, even younger than me. We played qualies (qualifiers) in Washington, when we were nobodies.

"He didn't want to play but I was pumping and said go on. In the last round of qualification, we played some guy named (Roger) Federer and (Sander) Groen. They were also very unknown but of course they kicked our ass.

"Then Marat said he was never going to play doubles again... before it was impossible to make him play doubles but he's improved a lot."

Although Ljubicic had fond memories of his previous partnership with the talented yet unpredictable Safin, it actually took place in August 1999.

Dubai will also provide the stage for Federer to renew his rivalry with his Australian Open conqueror Safin.

Safin pulled off a stunning five-set victory over Federer in the Melbourne semi-final from match point down before going on to win the crown.

Ljubicic believes his doubles partner now has his eye on Federer's number one ranking.

"Marat's now a very focused guy. He's going to give Roger a very hard time these days. I may be wrong but I feel he wants to be number one and when he wants something, he usually gets it."

[Damita]

That article from the tournament website is a good one, thanks Safinno. It reminds me why i like his personaliy so much! ;D

[Perri]

Interesting articles . Thanks Safino.

[edible]

Safin eyes Dubai title

TENNIS: Safin on quest to prise Dubai title from Federer

DUBAI: Marat Safin will try to prise away another of Roger Federer’s titles when the Australian Open champion and the defending champion line up at opposite ends of the draw in the Dubai Open which starts on Monday.

Safin, who saved six match points to beat Federer before taking away one of his three Grand Slam titles in Melbourne last month, is seeded for a rematch with the world number one in the final of the $1million Gulf tournament. If this happens, the Russian will hope to show the Swiss star that freshly-acquired mental strength is at least a semi-permanent addition to his volatile personality and should continue to bolster one of the most irresistible baseline attacks in the game.

Safin has often enjoyed the irony of attributing his improved stability to the help of Federer’s former coach, Peter Lundgren. More recently though he has suggested that personal development during a difficult spell in the wilderness helped him. Safin told Novosti, the Russian Information Agency, that the rough period during 2003 when he slipped to 86 in the world gave him time to understand “what regime and what schedule he should stick too.” The 25-year-old explained: “Each of us should find his/her own way despite its ups and downs. One needs to make mistakes and gain experience.” He added: “Media reports saying that I had health problems, and engaged in alcohol and even drug abuse, were of course unnerving, but they also made me stronger.”<br>
The permanence of this strength could be tested by others besides Federer. The fourth seed in the Dubai Duty Free sponsored tournament - which is reputed to pay generous appearance money should be Andre Agassi, the charismatic former world number one, who is determined to prove that on given weeks he can still be a force. Another, less celebrated, but very special rival is Fabrice Santoro, a former Dubai Open champion, whose subtle, gentle magic and obdurate attitude has often driven Safin mad. These qualities have earned Santoro a remarkable 7-1 head-to-head record over Safin, four of these victories coming on hard courts similar to those next week. Santoro also feels inspired by his memories of Dubai.

It was here in 2002 that the Frenchman won one of the most astonishing finals seen anywhere, anytime. Flu-induced dehydration forced him to spend 24 hours on a hospital drip, and caused him to arrive in a wheelchair planning to say that he was too ill. He only played to prevent disappointment and could hardly run. Federer has had none of Safin’s problems with Santoro, but he too has special attachment to Dubai. It was here that he gained a unique reconciliation and two years of prize money after having it withheld for insufficient effort in 2002. It was here that he took a holiday to recover from last year’s post-Wimbledon exhaustion, and it was from here that he made the call to Tony Roche which led to the Australian becoming his coach.

[Perri]

The draw is very tough. Marat will play Kiefer in the first round and may be O.Rochus later . Hope Marat keeps his head right and go through. Best luck to Marat .

[sirius]

draw's out...

Federer (1) vs. q
Ferrero (WC) vs. Mayer
El Aynaoui vs. Scheuttler
T.Johannson vs. Youzhny (7)

Agassi (4) vs. Stepanek
Srichaphan vs. Lopez
Hrbaty vs. Bahrouzyan (WC)
Santoro vs. Davydenko (6)

Ljubicic (8) vs. q
q vs. Verdasco
Andreev vs. q
Rusedcki vs. Henamn (3WC)

Robredo (5) vs. O.Rochus
Berdych vs. Beck
Lee vs. Soderling
Kiefer vs. Safin (2)

[Elisabeth]

..hum....Marat will play against Kiefer.... ...
Anyway, he can beat him.....
Unfortunately, I won't be able to watch Marat's performances.....so I hope he'll do his best.....
Fingers crossed and good luck Marat!!!

[me]

A shirtless Australian Open winner Safin Marat of Russia concentrates on a shot during practice for the Dubai Men's Open tournament February 20, 2005, at the Dubai Tennis Stadium. The championships will start on February 21

[Teresa]

ME
Thanks for the photos, they are great smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_5_105.gif [/img]
He really has been working out, he looks great

[MariaV]

Thanks for posting the pics Anita. LMFAO, now I also say he DOES need a haircut!!!!! Or what look is he going for?

[SAFINNO1]

I think kiefer may be an interesting opponent but would still expect marat to breeze through.
Honestly i think Marat has to be favourite as Roger really did struggle today against Ivan
One tie that interests me is the all Britain clash between Henman and Rusedski.

Go marat go and dont forget he has got doubles aswell

[Nimo Munz]

He's gotta do it i mean wen you beat Federer who the heck is Nicky Kiefer....

[MariaV]

Ppl, here are Vass's pics from today. He asked me to post them. THANK YOU VASS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

photobucket.com/albums/v733/Dubai05/?action=view¤t=u-14.jpg