I realy don't want to write a report. I feel more than a bit inside-out now. Anyway here goes...
I did not see Marat before the match today, which I a bit strange. Usually I see players well in advance before their matches. I planned to talk to him then, but as you can see, I couldn't do that. I couldn't wait for him in the club-house as well, because Youzhny was playing... Anyway, that doesn't matter.
Marat's match was horrible. Simply horrible. Reminded me of Younes. pfff. He could not hit a powerful shot for more than two times in a rwo. Otherwise it went out. I actually can remmber more than two winners from the baseline! One of them was an angry crouse-court backhand passing shot in the game in which he broke Kiefer. THat's all. He had winners at the net, but realy he had TOO MANY errors. The match was painful to watch. Only the serve was generally good. Ground strokes, according to my notes were okay to good only in 4 games of the match. Otherwise it was a disaster.
Kiefer played reasonably well in the match. But if realy... Nothing even Youzhny wouldn't be able to handle. Marat just needed to appeare in the match.
He did have an appearance, but only in the last 2.5 games of the match... THere he realy started to fight. THere had was aggressive and the balls went in, unlike in the TB, in which he was aggressive but all went to hell. With the liitle help from Kiefer (DF) he broke the guy at 5-3. He had a nice service game after that, and played okay in the last game. But let's face it, the probability of breaking the serve of a well-playing professional is low. Agh.
He wasn't aggressive enough in this match, I think. I could understand him becayse his groundies realy didn't work much. In the 5th game of the second set he tried serve-and-volleying twice. If I remember correctly it didn't result in anything too good. I somehow felt that he didn't have confidence in his baseline game and was anxious to go to the net...
His returns were not good in the match, as well.
When the match ended, I somehow didn't even look in the courts direction and just walked (ran) off the studium. So I didn't see Marat's reaction. I was very angry and sarcastic in that moment. Of course it soon changed into extreme sadness. I felt almost physically ill and my heart almost hurt... I went online right after the match, but soon decided that I need to see Marat in the locker room. Seing him helped me somehow. Anyway he was sitting with his team right there and discussing the match. I heared a bit and i think that Marat's weight was mentioned, although I'm not too sure. Peter was like: "are you sure it is the legs and not the weight?" or something maybe similar... I didn't hear much else. Marat talked to two people on the phone then... Anyway... Marat wasn't TOO sad, but it was visible that he was disappointed.
Then Marat went for a massage, I think. Before , or maybe after it (i don't remember, sorry) he talked to Ljubicic. Ivan also speaks Russian ("also" because a number of guys do: Stepanek and maybe even Hrbaty, knows it") and he asked about the score. Marat answered that it was f@cked-up. 6-7 4-6... Then he complaiend about the balls: we played with too small balls: 'golf balls', and said stuff about them flying around... Btw. in his first practice in Dubai, he said to Henman:"the balls are flying, huh?". I don't know how far that was an issue though. Anyway, atleast now we know that MArat is sincere in his complaints to the press.... He tells to his friends the same thing as to us...
Btw. I think that Marat plans to lose the doubles... I might be wrong but here is what I MIGHT HAVE heared from Marat's. Ivan asked him either "when are you leaving??", which could have been : "where are you (we) play tomorrow?"", actually.... Could have sounded same in Russian. Marat said "after tomorow", so make your conclusions.
After Ljubicic left, I asked him to sign a poster for me. He did. I didn't talk to him though, because I wasn't in the mood and I didn't know what to talk to him about (especially after he just lost). I got the feeling that he wasn't in chatting mood either.
When Marat finally, after the massage, went to the shower I threw that necklace I talked about, into his bag. I don't know if he saw it... Or maybe he took it out and left it in the locker room, thinking it just fell into his bag. I didn't want to give it to him personally, though. Too shy. If he asked me if it's mine,, i would have said "yes, but it was not my idea" ( would have blamed it on you girls....
).
After he left the drssing room, I asked him for a pic with me. He agreed again. that was teh last I saw of him before leaving the club.
Random notes: During the match I yelled to him about 1 times. the first was in Russians saying: "come on wake up slowly", which was at 2-2 in first set. I aslo shouted "come on Kiefer" at one point, when Nicolas lost a few points with errors... Those points should have been his by winners (MArat was too passive then) , but he netted them...
Marat was calm during the match, although it's too bad that he wasn't mad. Mayeb racket throwing wopuld have helped. Otherwise it looked too .... pitiful(?) to me... Sort of silent acceptance. Al;though he did have teh body language...
I know who the Asian guy is, that you saw on pics: he's the new physical trainer of Marat. I asked him that after the match. His name is Doctor Dan, or something... He's also nice: I spoke to him only after he smiled at me while passing me in the corridor. I don't know how good he is though...
::)Somehow I expected the result when I saw a pumped-up Marat in photos and all Marat's fans should always keep in mind his habit to slump after major events. I'm not too sad at the moment and just hope this period will not last long. 
Fingers crossed.
. Marat will always be Marat and don't expect him to change. His concentration on matches never lasts long 
.
Can't wait to read Vass' next report on this match.