Laney
Full Member
Posts: 326
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Post by Laney on Jun 21, 2005 1:37:46 GMT 3
Spooky Lau, it's almost as if there's a conspiracy theory going on here! LOL!
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Post by lau on Jun 21, 2005 1:48:27 GMT 3
Post match interview:  Just a few comments about it: *1st I`m in the "I hate grass club" too, hahha  Mmm, if Marat continues like that I`ll think about it  If he makes me like grass, he can do anything ;D *2ndIf my conspiracy theory is right (lol) and Marat continues saying this kind of things, he`ll never have a good draw at Wimbledon, ahahaha *3rdI adore Peter. He`s the best. I can not think about a better coach on earth for Marat. PETER, YOU`RE MY IDOL!!!!!  *4th LOL , so, that means you tried, Marat??  (the day they`ll stop asking Marat about breaking racquets in interviews It will be the end of the world.... ) *5th Stop saying that!!!!  M. Safin - Day 1
Monday, June 20, 2005
Q. Is this the new tennis? Instead of four hours on clay, long rallies?
MARAT SAFIN: I wish I could have these kind of matches every day. I wish I could play the same level of tennis every day.
Q. Maybe you can.
MARAT SAFIN: I'm trying. But it took me only six months from the last time I played such good tennis until now.
Q. Are you still the president of the "I hate grass" club?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm still there. I'm still there. But I've been working on it actually for a long time. With Peter, he try to improve my volleys and try to make me play more aggressive. Well, the tournament in Halle, I made final. That helped me a lot to get the confidence because it's really important to get into the grass and to Wimbledon with something on your back, some good results. Because without the confidence, really difficult to play good tennis and be comfortable on it.
Q. You looked very comfortable. Did you feel that way?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I felt really comfortable actually. Very confident. Like I said, two weeks ago I made the final in Halle, so it helped me a lot actually.
Q. There's a chance you might have Philippoussis next up if he gets through his match. That's going to be a bigger test on grass.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but first of all, I think he has a really big match coming that he's playing right now. I don't know what is the score, but it's a really difficult match for him actually. I'm not sure. I'm not a hundred percent sure he going to pass through. Because Beck, he warm up with me today, and he's really good on grass. We'll see. He will give him a hard time.
Q. If Mark did get through, on this surface, would that be a tough test?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, of course, if you get through the first round, I think you have a little bit more confidence because you going to beat a very good player and he's going to be tough for second round, that's for sure. But we'll see (smiling).
Q. After Halle and before this match, what were your expectations for today?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I had to be really serious and I tried to focus on every single point from the first point until the last one, because the first match is always tough on no matter what surface, but actually especially on grass. It's a tough one. And you need to really find your movement on the court because the courts are a little bit different from two weeks ago. And last week, for example, the guys coming from Nottingham, it's a completely different court. You need to get used to it and it takes a little bit of time.
Of course, the pressure of the first round, you also playing against the guy who is a very good player, made some great results on grass. Two years ago he beat Agassi. Last year I think he made final in Rosmalen. He knows how to play on it. So I was focused from the first point, playing great tennis and felt confident.
Q. How much more do you enjoy playing on the grass? In Australia you were still considering playing here at all.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, if I would have ‑‑ if I would have felt not comfortable at all at Halle and if I wouldn't make anything great in Halle, for example, like I would play for sure last week also, try to get used to the grass, if I would have felt not really confident and comfortable on the grass, I would not play.
But since Halle, I make some good results. Like in Halle I make good results, so why not try?
Q. How hard is it to break a racquet on grass?
MARAT SAFIN: You break the court faster than you break the racquet, that's for sure.
Q. You say it's six months since you played like this, so you mean the Australian Open. Were there ever times if you wondered if you'd ever play this well again?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I will. Now I have the confidence. Now it's very difficult ‑‑ now it's more actually I need to hold it. I need to hold these feelings and I need to hold it for a long time, as long as I can. Because now it looks like I found my game, I found the confidence that I was missing for past six months. Finally I have it. I'll try not to lose it again.
Q. Are you a bit worried with the break you have to take for your knee that you could lose it a bit?
MARAT SAFIN: Unfortunately I have to do this if I want to do very well in the second part of the year, which is on the hard court season. Actually, it's the worst surface for the knees, for the ankles ‑ not only for me, it's like for all the players. If I don't take care of it right now after Wimbledon, then I might not be even to finish the year.
So I prefer to take one month off and try to take good care of it and try to prepare for two weeks before Montreal, try to be serious. I'm not young any more (smiling).
Q. Have you made any changes to the people you have with you from the Australian Open to here or has that been settled?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, same people. No changes, yeah.
Q. Where did your confidence go? You say it went, then it comes back, you found it.
MARAT SAFIN: No, because I couldn't pass through the third round even in any of the tournaments. I had my opportunities, and I was missing by a little bit. Had some very close matches. And if I would pass them, I would be playing good tennis. But I couldn't make it. I couldn't make for some reason. Was a little bit unlucky. Was a little bit not aggressive enough on some matches, and in other matches I was too much under pressure, and many other things that they were bothering me and I couldn't pass through with that.
It's difficult. When you don't have the confidence, it's difficult to perform well, it's difficult to play good tennis and it's difficult to win matches. The more matches you lose, the more difficult it is to come back. Unfortunately, is this way. It's very difficult to get the confidence, but it's very easy to lose it.
Q. You got it back in Halle?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.
Q. Did you decide that grass wasn't so bad or that you felt better on it?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I felt ‑‑ I really felt really comfortable for some reason. And Peter, he was supporting me and he was giving me advices. He was just trying ‑‑ he was trying to make me feel comfortable. You know, he gave me the support that I needed. For past six months, it was really difficult time for me. And everybody, of course, they were expecting me to do miracles after Australian Open. They were not coming. The results were not coming. So he was there for me and he was just trying to calm me down and just he was trying to explain to me that I will have my opportunity and I will be playing well again sooner or later.
Q. What kind of adjustments did you make to your own game?
MARAT SAFIN: You know, to be more aggressive. You can't just ‑‑ I lost my game like in Monte‑Carlo. Against Ferrero, I think it was a key match. I started to be a little more defensive. That's how I lost it completely. In Rome, I was playing a terrible match against Almagro. I was just playing completely not my game. It was pushing me to ‑‑ even to lose, but at least to play my game, which is coming in, playing aggressive, putting pressure and trying to get to the net. If I start to run on the baseline, I'm not as good as when I'm playing aggressive.
Q. For a guy who didn't like grass that much...
MARAT SAFIN: Jesus, how much you going to do?
Q. Some people think Wimbledon should change to a hard court. Do you think that would be a bad thing?
MARAT SAFIN: Whatever. For two weeks, it doesn't really matter, I think.
Q. Does that mean you'd like grass to stay?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm not talking only about myself. I'm also thinking about other players. And I think they don't mind to play on grass for two weeks. So I support them.
Q. What about the tradition, history?
MARAT SAFIN: Also this, of course. How we can forget this (smiling)? |
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Post by lau on Jun 21, 2005 2:18:12 GMT 3
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Post by pau on Jun 21, 2005 2:20:45 GMT 3
thanks for the pics, interviews, etc! ;D
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Post by Rucinski on Jun 21, 2005 4:22:00 GMT 3
Hello, I'm happy he won!!! Hope he keeps that way. Don't know what to say, Bye ;D
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Post by Teresa on Jun 21, 2005 5:18:48 GMT 3
Hey!! I'm so happy toooo! I went to Wimbledon today and managed to get onto centre court in time to see it. And what can I say?? He played absolutely brilliantly! He served well, returned serve well and was just so confident and happy, I've never seen him like that on grass before!! Hope he beats Phillippousis!! Hi Jehaan Welcome ;D You are soooooo lucky to have been at center court today and to see Marat. I was very happy when I got home to find that ESPN covered Marat's match ;D *YAY* and I got it taped so was able to see a tape delay, and yes he played really well. It was soooo funny to hahaha Pat Mac kept saying, Safin is so calm, I dont understand, Safin is so calm ;D Also see no one else mentioned this but in the second set, Marat played a return from Paradon and won the point, after winning the point Marat said to the umpire, "did you not see that was out, and did a measurement with his thumb and index finger, the umpire said, something like, whats the problem you won the point, and Marat said to him, but that's not the point the ball was out.......... and on the replay it was out. Thats our Marat And congrats to Marat on his 500th match of his career ;D molodets And as Lau said, great stats Marat great stats molodets ;D Pat Mac and whoever the other guy was were saying that Marat is one of the fairest players, and with Marat its the principal. And that is soooo true with Marat its the principal that matters. LAU Thanks for the great great pics as always TINE Thanks for the link to the interview and the media reports DANDY Thanks for the info on Mark's serve. From the SB cause I did not see the match that Mark seemed to have a harder time against Kim than Marat did against Paradon. Is Kim supposed to be a grass courter? Is Paradon not better on grass than Kim? But yes Mark's serve will be cruical come wednesday. |
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Post by Teresa on Jun 21, 2005 5:39:08 GMT 3
Hahahha Lau i agree, I loved the interview, really upbeat. I also loved Hahahha I love the way he says I am still there I am still there!! So good to hear him say he felt comfortable and feeling confident. Dandy.........Marat answered my question ;D LMAO I thought that was sooooooooo funny ;D I thought that was a strange question but Marat answered it well. I just loved this bit. Lau I agree I think Peter is wonderful too, long may his relationship with Marat last. LMAO tell them Marat hahahah, how many times are they going to ask him this question hahahahah and Lau you could be right |
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 8:35:44 GMT 3
Goooooood morning everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a day yesterday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Geeezzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, I watched a few matches last night including the 2nd and 3d set of Marat's game. So here I will post my comments on this game and in the Wimbledon thread in "Dinara and Other Players" I will talk about the rest. What a game!!!!!!!!!!! What a man!!!!!!!!! What a character!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now the details. 1. GOD BLESS PETER LUNDGREN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Honestly, the guy is a magician. I am sooooo happy they're together. Peter is a 600% professional who I think personally is the major reason for such a performance yesterday. Not only is he a great player and coach but I also think he's a mega great psychologist because to make MARAT SAFIN regain his confidence during a GRASS season is not something a simple coach could do....Bravo Peter!!!!!!!! We sincerely thank you for standing up by him and doing the things you do so well.  2. I have no words honestly. Is this the Safin who hates grass? Is this the man who said he had to learn to walk on grass? Yesterday's game once again showed that it's all in his head. Whoever watched the game must have realised the level of concentration, seriousness and confidence he had last night. I think I could hear his brain working. Seriously.....no fooling around, no screaming, pure concentration, fighting for every single point, making shots that blew my mind. Several times he was 0:40 down and he came back...calmly, quietly and soooooooooo cool. 3. Knee..well....not that it's not completely not bothering him, it shows sometimes he's a bit precautious but on the whole it's not bad at all...I mean he even did a "Boris Becker style" shot saving yesterday, while falling on the grass and hitting the ball. He's alright...hope it stays that way. 4. One thing that amazed me most yesterday is the srength of his shots. You could actually see that at times Paradorn was laughing after missing a shot like that....he was like "Man, are you for real? And you want me to try and take these?" Seriously..the speed, the strength..wooooohooooooo...our boy was on the roll yesterday. 5. One thing that got me a little worried yesterday (maybe it's my imagination, I don't know) is his appearance. Is it me, or did he really look tired, pale and skinny? I had a feeling he wasn't feeling well (it didn't show on the game, mind you) but I just thought he didn't look as healthy as usual...maybe it's just me anyway.... On the whole Horoshaya Igra Marat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bravo!!!!!!!!!! Great Game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are proud of you!!!!!!!!! Get some rest and good luck in the next match...you will definitely need some luck there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Molodets!!!!!!!!!!!! |
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 8:38:42 GMT 3
Oh this is a brilliant one from the official wimby site...rotflmaoooooooooooooooo the last paragraph.....YOU GOT IT RIGHT MATE!!!!! ;D ;D
Safin Happier on Grass
Monday, 20 June, 2005
For a bloke with a sore knee and a self-confessed aversion to grass, Marat Safin is doing rather well. This time last year he lost to Dmitry Tursunov in the opening round. Fed up, miserable and grumpy, he gave the biff-baff-bosh of grass court tennis both barrels.
"I give up on Wimbledon," he harrumphed. "Is definitely not the tournament for me. I give up on spending time on this courts. I give up on practicing before the tournament. I hate this. I don't like to play on this surface. I don't feel like I'm moving. I cannot move there. Every time, I don't know how it's gonna bounce. So it's like a really nightmare for me. So after a while, just I get bored."
So, Marat wasn't happy, then. But, twelve months and one Australian Open title later, Mr Safin has changed his mind. Ranked No.5 in the world and fresh from the final in Halle - where it took Roger Federer to beat him in three tight sets - Safin is getting the hang of this grass court tennis lark. Beating Paradorn Srichaphan, the sometimes stylish, sometimes flaky Thai, with consummate ease, he looked more than at home on the slick Centre Court.
"I wish I could have these matches every day," he said. "I wish I could play this level tennis every day. But it doesn't happen like that."
There is an awful lot of Safin - 6'4" and 14 stone of him, to be precise. When Tim Henman was put in one of Safin's shirts (they share the same clothing sponsor), Britain's finest was lost in the massive folds of cloth and could walk around the inside of it.
Hugely strong and with the ability to play any shot in the book - and make up those that aren't - he can, if he wants, win on any surface. But, depending on his mood, he doesn't always want to. Confidence is the key to every player's chances but particularly for the big Russian. From winning in Melbourne, he stumbled around the globe unable to win more than a match here and there. He was not quite sure how it had happened - all he would say is, "many things were bothering me" - but once the run of failure had started, it would not stop.
"The more matches you lose, the more difficult to come back," he explained. "It's very difficult to find your confidence, but very easy to lose it. I need to hold this feeling for as long as I can. It looks like I found the confidence that was missing for the last six months. I'll try not to lose it again."
As for the grass, he is still not completely sure he likes the stuff but, for the moment, he will give it the benefit of the doubt. That said, it was still touch and go even a fortnight ago as to whether he would play in SW19 at all.
"I felt really comfortable, really comfortable today," he said. "Two weeks ago, I made the final in Halle and that helped me. I try to focus on every single point. The first match is always tough, especially on grass. You need to find your movement on the grass. Peter [Lundgren, his coach] tried to make me play more aggressive and improve my volleys. It's important to come to Wimbledon with some good results behind you. If I had not had good results in Halle, I would not have played."
The only cloud on his horizon is his left knee. He has ligament damage and the joint could collapse at any moment. Once he is finished with Wimbledon, he will have to take a month off to let the injury heal and may need surgery. If he does not give himself time to recover, he is not sure that he will be able to finish the season.
For the moment, though, Safin is happy, he is winning and he is confident. And 14 stone of confident Russian thundering towards them should frighten the life out of most of his opponents. ;D ;D ;D
Written by Alix Ramsay
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 9:50:43 GMT 3
Ermmm just so you people get the idea...this is what Paradorn had to do sometimes to try and get Marat's shots ;D ;D  |
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Post by Jasmine on Jun 21, 2005 9:55:36 GMT 3
Wooohooo!!! I know I`m late, but... Marat!! nice stats!! I couldn´t read the interview ot nothing.... But I could watch the last games of the match. ;D Really good tennis!! Nice shots and Marat was doing it really well! He found it a little difficult to close that match..., but I was not nervous at all!!! I was so sure he would win the match there. His serve was really working and he was calm. As I said, I couldn´t watch one whole set...... WOOOOoooHHoooooOO!!! ;D ;D ;D Pics are coming in a while You're rock. lau I stay nervous till the end. It's really a wonderful performance from our wonderful man. I'm trilled, even I slept only 4 and a half hours last night(The match finished very late TH Time), I still alert. His lob shots are amazing since Halle. Thanks Marat for the Victory. Thanks Peter for always be there with him. Annie, yes, Wimbledon starts interesting since Pete retired. |
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 9:57:14 GMT 3
June 20. 2005 10:22PM Look out, Wimbledon - here comes Safin
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Marat Safin is beginning to find his footing on
grass, an ominous development for the rest of the men's field at Wimbledon.
The mercurial Russian overcame his career-long aversion to lawn tennis
Monday and beat Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.
A first-round victory by a two-time Grand Slam champion might seem no big
deal. But Safin has advanced beyond the second round at Wimbledon only once,
and after a first-round loss last year he said he was done trying to win on
grass.
Even when Safin won the Australian Open in January, he was unsure whether he
would play at Wimbledon. Now he lurks as a threat to claim his second major
title this year.
``After what I've seen, it looks like he's getting more comfortable on the
surface,'' said 2003 runner-up Mark Philippoussis, who will play Safin in the
second round Wednesday. ``He's definitely finding his game a little more out
there.''
Against Paradorn, the No. 5-seeded Safin moved well despite a knee injury
that has hampered him in recent weeks and prompted him to plan a monthlong
layoff after Wimbledon. He had 46 winners and just 13 unforced errors, lost
just 11 points on his first serve and was broken only once.
Safin, who has battled a slump on all surfaces in recent months, judged the
performance his best since Australia.
``I felt really comfortable, actually, and really confident,'' he said. ``I
wish I could play this level of tennis every day. I'm trying.''
With a rueful smile, Safin acknowledged he still hates grass. He said he's
trying to change that with the help of coach Peter Lundgren, who has encouraged
Safin to play more aggressively on the surface.
There were signs of progress at the grass event two weeks ago in Halle,
Germany, where Safin won four matches before losing a three-set final to
two-time defending Wimbledon champion Roger Federer.
``I felt really, really comfortable for some reason,'' Safin said. ``That
helped me to get the confidence, because it's really important to get into the
grass and to Wimbledon with something on your back.
``I need to hold these feelings, and I need to hold them for a long time, as
long as I can. Because now it looks like I found my game. I found the
confidence that I was missing for the past six months. Finally I have it. I'll
try not to lose it again.''
With a big serve, creative knack and willingness to charge the net, Safin
has the game to win on grass. But he finds himself in the more difficult half
of the draw, which includes Federer and 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt.
The 6-foot-4 Russian's next hurdle will be 6-4 Aussie Philippoussis, who is
mounting his latest career comeback. He received a wild card into the draw and
opened by beating Karol Beck 7-5, 6-4, 6-2.
``He's going to be tough for the second round, that's for sure,'' Safin
said.
Philippoussis' ranking fell from ninth to 106th in 2004, and after reaching
the fourth round at Wimbledon, he went 0-5 the rest of the year. He has won
just four of nine matches in 2005, but with one of the sport's biggest serves,
he remains dangerous on grass.
``Being such a good surface for me, it definitely is an opportunity for me
to go out there and start this sort of comeback thing in a positive way,'' he
said.
The top-ranked Federer extended his grass-court winning streak to 30
matches, including 15 at the All England Club, by beating Paul-Henri Mathieu
6-4, 6-2, 6-4. No. 3-seeded Hewitt hit 19 aces and beat Christophe Rochus 6-3,
6-3, 6-1.
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 10:27:25 GMT 3
You're right Annie...ROTFLMAO...
YEOUCH!! it looks even painful when you watch him do that on real time...
Thanks all for the articles, pics, vids, etc.
i saw the matches on Centre Court on tv...starting with Federer's but i kept changing the channel every 5 minutes...LOL, it was obvious who was gonna win that...i stay tuned on the davenport match, it was pretty quick...Of course I stayed on through-out Marat's match...even when it was already 1am when it finished...I noticed he was kinda favoring the leg with the injured knee a bit at the start of the 1st set...and i think i saw his face look like he was really in pain...but as the match progressed i guess it kinda stopped bothering him...his concentration was marvelous...almost impeccable...there was a lapse in the latter part of the second set but he quickly got it back. I'm really happy he won...and that the knee seems fine...i was so praying that he would finish the match quickly so he can rest already...but i was sure he was gonna win it right from the start, when he broke Paradorn in the 1st game of the 1st serve...you just get that feeling sometimes, right?
anyway, Mark Philippoussis...haven't seen him play in a while...but i still think he's gonna be a tough opponent...i wish Marat all the luck, and a lot of confidence...
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Post by annie on Jun 21, 2005 11:15:34 GMT 3
I watched bits and pieces of Mark's match yesterday......
It won't be an easy walk tomorrow....but....it's Marat we're talking about!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL
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Post by Andrada on Jun 21, 2005 12:08:06 GMT 3
Wimbledon-Impressive Safin brushes aside Paradorn
2005-06-20 17:08:24 GMT (Reuters)
LONDON, June 20 (Reuters) - Russia's Marat Safin wasted little time beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2 6-4 6-4 to reach the second round of Wimbledon on Monday.
The fifth seed and Australian Open champion looked unusually comfortable on a surface he admits is not his favourite against an opponent known for his serve-volley game on grass.
Safin broke in the first game of the match and never looked back, clubbing winners from all angles with his serve and backhand particularly impressive.
The 25-year-old reached the final of the grasscourt event at Halle eight days ago and Monday's display boded well as he seeks to surpass his best previous Wimbledon showing of reaching the quarter-finals in 2001.
Safin secured victory in the 500th match of his career with two successive aces to set up a second round clash with either Slovakia's Karol Beck or Australian Mark Philippoussis, the 2003 Wimbledon finalist.
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Mmm, if Marat continues like that I`ll think about it 
If he makes me like grass, he can do anything ;D 
(the day they`ll stop asking Marat about breaking racquets in interviews It will be the end of the world.... 
