Wimbledon 2006

[fra]

Second round Safin-Gonzalez again

[jdenelle]

davis said:

Hey marats, wouldn't you be better off in the "Matches discussion"- thread? Just a kind question...

Has anybody thought about subscribing to Wimbledon TV? Could be a great place to get Marat videos. I thought about subscribing but I would like to hear somebody else's experience whether it's worth the 20 bucks first. If it is similar to the ATP TV site then it would be fun.
And BTW: YEAH, Marat already won two sets!!! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D Go baby, kick ass!!!!

I purchased the package and the reception was great. Live coverage!!!! ATP TV only shows 'highlights'. I watched most of Agassi's match then switched to Marat's match. No commercials, just live TV stream. It's worth $20 because you have access to 9 courts--LIVE!!

[CaliforniaSuds]

Lookin' Good! Now, if we could only get some REAL coverage from ESPN but they're too busy genuflecting to Agassi, Nadal and Federer. They'll be backpeddling when he wins the next match. Hope they grovel!

[SAFINNO1]

[SAFINNO1]

Classy Safin ends Rusedski hopes

Russia's Marat Safin ended Greg Rusedski's Wimbledon hopes in the first round, outclassing the British number one 6-4 6-4 6-4.
Safin has never been comfortable on grass but in a match dominated by serve, the former world number one's superior return proved the difference.
He broke once in each set to seal victory, and faced only one break point in the entire match.
Safin goes on to face Fernando Gonzalez

Now 32, Rusedski must now decide whether he has it in him to prepare for another tilt at Wimbledon in 12 months' time.
"I haven't made a decision on that. I'd be silly to make a rash decision at this very moment," he said.
"It's not about injuries, it's about trying to find the motivation. The older you get the harder it gets to find it."
I would have liked to have given a better account of myself

The Briton, whose Wimbledon best is still 1997's run to the quarter-finals, said he was disappointed by his performance against Safin but refused to blame it on the hip injury he suffered before Queen's.

"Marat played well and I never really got a chance on his serve but I was a little bit disappointed with myself," he said.
"I might not have won but I would have liked to have given a better account of myself.
"I didn't have the best preparation. You need matches and I didn't have as many as I would have liked. If I could have had a few matches it would have definitely benefitted me - but no excuses."
Rusedski had not lost in the first round at Wimbledon since going out to Vince Spadea in 2000, but with his preparations this year disrupted by a hip injury and a difficult draw against Safin, the omens were not good.

In a battle of two big servers, breaks were always likely to be at a premium and when Rusedski lost serve at 3-3, there was no way back.

Safin's struggles on grass are notorious, the Russian once claiming he had given up on Wimbledon, but with the first set under his belt, any hope Rusedski had of the Russian self-destructing diminished.
The former world number one stepped on the power on his return once more to grab the decisive break at 4-4 in the second set.

Rusedski gamely saved break points in the first game of the third and even earned his first game point on Safin's serve in the next, but the Russian always looked to have too much.

The pressure told at 3-3 when Rusedski netted an easy forehand on break point and Safin went on to complete a comfortable victory.

"I was maybe a bit lucky with my first break," said Safin.

"After that, I started to feel much more confident. I served well, I was hitting well from the baseline. I felt comfortable."

But Safin denied it had been easy.

"It's very difficult to return his serve. I had to concentrate and take my opportunities on his serve because I knew I wouldn't have many.

"If he had been more aggressive on my serve a couple of times he could have broken me and it would have been a different match."
Safin also missed half of last season with a knee injury but declared himself fully fit after a superb performance.

"Past couple of months, I couldn't really get myself together," Safin said. "Today I just had to concentrate a little bit, pay attention to his serve.

"I had to be 100% on the court and try to look for my opportunities because if you are not sharp, you have basically no chance against him because it is his surface, he's lefty, and he's good at the net.

"He's the kind of player that nobody likes to play against on these surfaces.

"My leg doesn't bother me any more. I can 100% concentrate on what I'm doing on the court, just play my game without thinking if it's going to hurt or if it's not going to hurt. So it's kind of big relief for me."





Match stats available at
www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/scores/stats/day2/1039ms.html

[davis]

Safin Too Strong for Rusedski

Tuesday, 27 June, 2006


Greg Rusedski, the British No.1, lost in the first round at Wimbledon today, going down to Russia's Marat Safin on Court Two. It is the fourth time Rusedski has been beaten at the first hurdle at Wimbledon in 14 attempts.

Safin won 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, a victory which defied his world ranking of 87th, caused by a lengthy absence with injury ending in February this year. Safin was in a strong and confident mood in his sixth meeting with Rusedski, who he last played – and beat – on grass at Queen's Club in 2000.

The 32-year-old Rusedski injured his hip in a fall at the same tournament this year, forcing him to miss the event in Nottingham last week. But he was still determined to make his mark at Wimbledon, where his best performance is a quarter-final appearance in 1997.

Safin, the Australian Open champion last year, also counts the quarters as his best effort at the All England Club and today he gave Rusedski little rein to play his best. The pace and accuracy the Russian produced from the baseline was consistent and impressive.

Even though Rusedski's serve is one of the strongest in the game he was broken once in each set, enough to tip the balance in Safin's favour. Rusedski served seven aces; Safin replied with 13. Rusedski double faulted five times, Safin once. All the statistics were against the British left-hander.

In the third set, Safin took the Rusedski serve in the seventh game, and then served two love games for the match.

From www.wimbledon.org

[MaratRocks]

Just watched the match on the highlights show. ;D

;D Well Done Marat ;D

[MaratRocks]

By the way Safinno1, the pix are great... thanx ;D

[maryb]

Greetings from an overcast Wimbles - but at least it was dry today (I still managed to get my nose and forehead burnt even though it was cloudy).

The rain on Monday was a blessing in disguise. Marat's match would no doubt have been on centre court otherwise.

I managed to snuck a brilliant spot from the front of the standing area on court 2 and got to see the whole match after all. TIP: go to the side of court 11 and the queue for standing room in court 2 starts there - and then make your way right along the standing room area to take you to the far away end (it's quieter and you've a good chance of a getting a great view). ;D

Marat was pretty ruthless out there today. It was quite a sight to behold. The groundstrokes were spot on. If he can focus like that, he can go all the way. It was really nice to see him so focused - and no arm flailing and angst in evidence (2 small squeals - and Peter indicated 'forget it'). Greg looked pretty lost out there - don't think he had a chance even if changed his tactics to be honest. You guys would all have cheered if you'd seen him play.

It was nice to see Peter relaxed too and not gnawing at his nails. He'll no doubt rest easy after witnessing that match - classic Marat.

The match was televised - if you were in Britain and chose court 2 on the digital channel. (My dad kept texting me about it - even though I was watching the match.) His most lucid comment was that Marat was wearing way too much gold round his neck. That's dads for you. Didn't seem to do Marat any harm on the day though ... maybe my lump of white heather helped too!

I took photographs - got a few of Davydenko as well. I'll need Annie's help to post them when I get back to Glasgow in a week's time.

Will post another match update if I get to see the boy again. Hopefully they'll stick him on 2 again.

PS I was right about Gilbert for Murray.

Another PS The painting's were of Borg and Navratilova. They are in the Wiumbles museum.

[luxsword]

Youhou ! He won !!!


(sorry, had to write this somewhere I know it's soo late after the match, but TV played Desperate housewives, you know )

[sabz]

BIG CONGRATS TO MARAT!! nice victory n should give him a lot of confidence!!
i managed to watch the whole match on interactive tv and i was impressed!! very level headed and his return of serve wow!! *round of applause* maryb u r a very lucky woman to have witnessed him in action i look forward to seeing the fotos!
and thanks to everyone who posted pics!! (btw his hair is looking better and better!!)

[luxsword]

thanks for the report, maryb

[sabz]

M. Safin Interview - Day 2
Tuesday, 27 June, 2006


Q. For a player who doesn't like this much to play on grass, what do you think about your match today?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, in my position, I should love to play on grass, any surface afterwards, because I'm kind of short on points and I have to be careful what I am doing on the Grand Slams because I can be out of the top hundred very fast and very easy. So I have to concentrate, give my best and take my chances. Today's match was kind of... I was a little bit lucky on a few opportunities. I make the break, then I start to feel much confident on the court. I was serving well, good from the baseline. He didn't really feel comfortable on the court I don't think during all the match.

Q. The fact that you cut your hair, does it give you more strength?

MARAT SAFIN: I'm faster (smiling). ( ;D ;D ;D yay! )

Q. Were you surprised at how little resistance Greg put in in the end? You seemed to be really playing within yourself and only really stepped up your game when it was really needed.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, it wasn't really like that because it's very difficult to return his serve. And also he is very dangerous on the second serves when he was looking for the net because he places it very well, he knows where to go, and he is very dangerous at it. So I had to concentrate a little bit to keep him on the baseline and not present him with an opportunity on my serve. When he's serving well, you don't have many opportunities. He doesn't let you convert a lot of breakpoints, so it kind of could go both ways because if he was a little bit sharper and he was more positive or aggressive on my serve, I think he could have broken me a couple times and then the match would be different story. But, like I said, I was a little bit lucky in the beginning of the first set and it gave me a little bit of advantage and built a little bit confidence with my game.

Q. You talked about being a little lucky. When you step back, in tennis it seems to me there's so much luck in the draw, in injuries, a let cord, the weather. Could you talk about the role of luck.

MARAT SAFIN: It's very important. I think you should see a little bit of the movie "Match Point". For sure you've seen this, right, "Match Point"?

Q. A little bit.

MARAT SAFIN: Luck is very important. But you should be prepared to take your opportunities. It's all about that. Because if you're not prepared, the opportunities are there, you don't take them, then you complain there is no luck. So I guess luck without work never happens.

Q. And the best luck in your career and the worst luck?

MARAT SAFIN: Worst luck, I think, was the Australian Open in 2002 against Johansson, and I think the best luck against Sampras, my first Grand Slam. I was prepared, but it was completely pure luck that I beat him in three straight sets, playing incredible tennis all of a sudden, beating the best player in the world.

Q. Your first Slam victory was luck?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

Q. Do you feel this was one of the cleanest matches you played in a while.

MARAT SAFIN: It is the cleanest match I ever played, I will ever play.

Q. Today?

MARAT SAFIN: No, no, no. I talking about the past.

Q. Sampras?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

Q. Today was pretty clean. You haven't played that clean in a while.

MARAT SAFIN: Much better than before, that's for sure. Past couple of months, I couldn't really get myself together. Today I just had to concentrate a little bit, pay attention to his serve. I had to be a hundred percent on the court and try to look for my opportunities because if you are not sharp, you have basically no chance against him because this is his surface, he's lefty, and he's good at the net. He's the kind of player that nobody likes to play against on these surfaces.

Q. You had a bit of a collision with the umpire's chair in the first set. You just couldn't stop yourself?

MARAT SAFIN: No, because the ball was out, clearly out. It was so slow, I was a little bit shocked he couldn't see and he called it in.

Q. Are you more comfortable here than last year on the grass? Last year you were starting to be more comfortable.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but I got injured unfortunately. I was already playing against Philippoussis, I hurt myself badly. Then against López, I couldn't really run, serve or do anything to be able to beat him. But I was playing actually very well in the first two matches. I was feeling much more comfortable on grass since the first year that I ever played here. This year I'm kind of more positive, and I am already improving my game with the help of Peter a little bit, with my volleys, my serve is working, so it's kind of giving you a big advantage on the fast surfaces. If the serve doesn't work, then it's kind of difficult to run on the baseline and look for the volleys.

Q. Do you think this might be your best surface now that you're more happy with it?

MARAT SAFIN: I just won one match (smiling). I think I consider hard court or indoors my best ones.

Q. How long have you given yourself to catch up with Nadal and Federer?

MARAT SAFIN: You know what my ranking is? I'm so far behind. I haven't had any good results since Valencia where I made the semi-final. I need to be more consistent, need to be more confident, stronger mentally, all these things all together, then I have a chance even to get to top 50 and then to top 20. So I'm far away. The way the guys are playing, having played on clay courts, it's a completely different level. None of the players can compete with them from what I see.

Q. You say you're feeling positive. How are you feeling physically?

MARAT SAFIN: Healthy, nothing my leg doesn't bother me any more. I can hundred percent concentrate on what I'm doing on the court, just play my game without thinking if it's going to hurt or if it's not going to hurt. So it's kind of big relief for me.

Q. Years from now when you're old and have grey hair, your grandkids ask you to tell them a story about great Andre Agassi, what story would you tell them?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, I think it's the first guy who made tennis a show and entertainment. Of course, he achieved a lot of Grand Slams and everything, but he made this entertainment with his looks, with his pants, with the fashion that he brought into tennis. The people start to be a little bit with the glasses he played, first guy who played with glasses, I think, short hair, long hair, earrings. What he's missing, tattoos. But he made a show on the court actually. He had such charisma. Also in the same way he could concentrate on what he was doing. He keeped his level of tennis during 15 years he's been on the tour, even more, 18 years that he's been on the tour. He's been there all the time top 10, top two, top three. He had only one slip. One year, I don't remember which was it, '97 I guess, '96, something like that. Well, he slipped a little bit, but he could come back from being 150 in the world and playing challengers, come back and I think he's been No. 1 in the world afterwards.

Q. You said entertainment, personality is so important in tennis. Can we replace Agassi?

MARAT SAFIN: No, because he's a personality. You cannot replace personality with another personality. It can be a different story, different guy has to be. The second one who tries to copy him will never be the same, that's for sure. It's going to be who will take a place and who will try to be as close as him. But I think they should be doing it in a different way. Well, of course we have Federer, we have Roddick, we have Hewitt. But of course Agassi is Agassi. It's like a brand already. Andre Agassi, you already know what you're talking about, you know what to expect. Compared to him, we are kids. We have to learn much more in our lives to be able to get there.

Q. If this turns out to be the last tournament for Greg Rusedski, would you have any thoughts about his legacy to tennis?

MARAT SAFIN: Everybody's retiring.

Q. He may. He's injured obviously.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, he had his career. He had a couple of chances of winning the Grand Slams. I think he was once in the finals. Twice or not?

Q. Once.

MARAT SAFIN: He had his chance. He lost I think to Rafter. Very dangerous player, been very tough. But last couple of years, he wasn't really sharp. Of course, the years are taking over and you're not as fast as you've been. You're not as sharp as you've been. But he maintain himself there. He didn't really, you know, like struggled. Maintained himself in the top 30 pretty solid. Solid player. He achieved maximum of his career. Could have done a little better by winning that Grand Slam. But also in the years that he played was much more competition than probably right now, with the players like Rafter, Rusedski, Kafelnikov, Agassi, Sampras, Rios. It kind of was tough for him. But he managed to be there and to be in even top four.

[bia2209]

YAY!!! I am SOOOOO happy that Marat won. He needed this win and I hope he'll keep playing this kind of clean tennis and most of all I want him to have a good time and be happy.

[CaliforniaSuds]

I just love when he says "little bit" I can see his lips saying it.