|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 10:26:05 GMT 3
bia thanks a mil for the video link and mari thanks for the photos!!!!!!!!!!! In my opinion this is a priceless shot  ;D ;D ;D ;D |
|
|
|
Post by avalon on Mar 2, 2006 10:28:18 GMT 3
I love this shot too. Just goes to show what a big boy Marat is  |
|
|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 10:38:38 GMT 3
I am in love   |
|
|
|
Post by emma on Mar 2, 2006 10:54:48 GMT 3
I am in love We all are, Annie..... |
|
|
|
Post by Tish on Mar 2, 2006 10:56:07 GMT 3
but no one understands  |
|
|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 10:59:45 GMT 3
but no one understands but us |
|
|
|
Post by Tish on Mar 2, 2006 11:21:02 GMT 3
That is soooooo true....
Link:http://www.turkishpress.com/new
Have found another article but had to first put a classic quote into my siggie....
Subdued Agassi rumbled by German outsider
03-01-2006, 15h32
DUBAI (AFP)
Andre Agassi of the US returns the ball to Bjorn Phau of Germany during their ATP Dubai Open tournament in the oil-rich Gulf emirate. Phau won 7-5, 7-5
(AFP)
Andre Agassi suffered one of the worst and strangest defeats of his career when he was beaten in straight sets by Bjorn Phau, a man who does not even compete regularly on the main tour, in the Dubai Open.
The former winner of all four Grand Slams lost 7-5, 7-5 to the world number 79 from Germany in the second round and for much of the match the outcome was quite predictable.
The 35-year-old has only played one previous tournament this year and only two since the US Open in August, but lack of match play did not seem to be the only reason for Agassi's shock defeat.
The fourth-seeded star lacked much of his usual intensity, frequently missing service returns and over-hitting drives in a way which would be a rarity at his most competitive.
The official statistics interpreted this as 31 unforced errors.
"The ball was really flying tonight," said Agassi.
"I never got comfortable with my range. I couldn't make three or four shots in a row.
"I was pressing with the first couple of shots but once I let him use his legs it was a pretty uphill battle after that. It feels like I was playing tennis with a golf ball and it was not a comfortable feeling at all."
Asked if the lighting had given him problems. Agassi said rather caustically: "It looked like that, didn't it, - but no excuses.
"When I settled down and made him play a few, he stepped up and took his chance. So I have to give him credit for that."
[glow=red,2,300]And asked what Steffi Graf meant to him, an inspiration or motivation, Agassi simply snapped: "She's my wife[/glow]."
Agassi twice looked as though he was going to make a fight of it, when he came from 2-4 and broke back for 4-4 in the first set, and when he did the same in the second.
But each time his standard declined, and his mistakes in the last two games of the match left it with a very bloodless feeling indeed.
Earlier Marat Safin's comeback came to an abrupt end amidst a bout of fretting and fuming as the former world number one was beaten by Olivier Rochus.
After six months out with a knee injury Safin had done superbly to beat world number five Nikolay Davydenko on Tuesday, but this time there were mistakes and minor recriminations as he went down 7-6, 6-4 to the world number 31 from Belgium.
Safin had sometimes looked good enough to win. He served well, often hit pulverising ground strokes, saved two set points at 3-5 to regain parity in the first set, and led 4-2 in the second.
But when things went wrong, the unpredictable Russian reacted adversely. A foot-fault in the eighth game triggered complaints to the umpire and Safin also argued about a line decision which went against him on break point.
Several times he bounced his racket angrily, and there were moments when his frustration clearly gave the steady and tenacious Rochus encouragement..
"It was a lack of matches," Safin claimed as the reason for his shortcomings.
"You need to get the rhythm back: it doesn't come straight away. There's still a long way to go and many things to work on.
"It's not like I was so bad today. I never like to play him. He's a difficult opponent because he uses slice and changes a lot in his game. He plays smart. I just need matches."
But the foot fault still appeared to be needling him some time afterwards.
"It's a little bit strange how I make a foot fault with my left leg and not the right," Safin said. "He said to me it's your left one, which is not right.
"It was just a couple of misses and that was it. I didn't do anything stupid, I just missed a couple of shots. That's how it is especially when you don't have a lot of matches."
It still seemed likely that Safin would fight his way back to a third set, as he had against Davydenko, when he played a well-controlled baseline game to break for 4-2 in the second set.
But Rochus produced some fluently excellent drives to break back and soon Safin was back into a fretting, error-prone mode again.
He had not been, he admitted, too satisfied with his movement.
"I was a bit scared sometimes," he said, referring to the troublesome knee. Nor did he sound overly full of optimism about the next stages of his comeback.
"It depends on draws and on confidence," he said rather sombrely.
"It's not up to me. I can have a bad draw for the next two months and what can I do? I can play Federer, and Agassi and Roddick, one after the other, and then what?"
|
|
|
|
Post by kittycatnat on Mar 2, 2006 12:13:16 GMT 3
Thanks for the article Tish mwah!
Lol that quote IS a classic!
|
|
|
|
Post by bia2209 on Mar 2, 2006 12:28:31 GMT 3
Thanks Tish, brilliant article. To be honest though, I sense a bit of journalistic trickology in there. I should know as I plan on being a sports journalist...i mean when marat says it depends on the draw and confidence...that's more a statement of fact than any indication of whether he is optimistic or not. you could spin that one way or the other...in any case, the important thing is that he's healthy. I'm not too worried. Our boy will be back to his best in no time at all, I'm sure of it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 12:29:23 GMT 3
bia, you should meet our member jewell then..he is studying to be a sports journalist, too ;D
|
|
|
|
Post by bia2209 on Mar 2, 2006 12:36:24 GMT 3
cool...i'm sure we'll have lots to talk about then....btw you're more than welcome for the video link...it was my pleasure believe me...anything to do with marat is always my pleasure...lol
|
|
blue
Full Member
Posts: 373
|
Post by blue on Mar 2, 2006 13:25:04 GMT 3
Thank you all for the articles and pics  I was a little sad yesterday that he lost, but I´m always, even though I had no big expectations for his appearance on court after so long. But I think he played really well, his groundstrokes and serve is like he´s never been away, just the movement is still a bit rusty, and consistency and confidence as he said have to come back. I´m just really happy, he´s back now, and that his knee held. He´ll improve soon, I´m sure |
|
|
|
Post by lau on Mar 2, 2006 14:46:44 GMT 3
|
|
|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 14:52:56 GMT 3
I see it Lau LMAO ;D weird...
|
|
|
|
Post by Annie on Mar 2, 2006 14:55:06 GMT 3
thanks hun...lovely shots ;D ;D ;D
|
|
Dreams unwind but still it's a state of mind,..I know - Dreams unwind but still it's hard to find - Stevie Nicks...“Marat Safin is a self-tortured genius. He's off the wall with tremendous physical talent. “John Mc Enroe
