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Post by emma on Dec 2, 2006 16:23:23 GMT 3
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Post by safinette on Dec 2, 2006 16:31:56 GMT 3
Well done Marat and Dima! ;D GOOOOOOOOOOOO RUSSIAAAAAAAAA!!!!!
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Post by emma on Dec 2, 2006 17:02:38 GMT 3
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Post by Chachou on Dec 2, 2006 17:13:51 GMT 3
Doubles  |
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Post by lau on Dec 2, 2006 17:14:18 GMT 3
More vids of Marat speaking in Spanish in the same link I posted previously www.tycsportstenis.com/2006/davis/rusia/ including the moment when he meets Maradona I think that after the doubles match LOL ;D ;D |
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Post by emma on Dec 2, 2006 17:15:22 GMT 3
From Eurosport.com ;D Russia take big step towards trophy  Russia took a big step towards Davis Cup glory on Saturday as Dmitry Tursunov and Marat Safin triumphed 6-2 6-3 6-4 over David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri of Argentina. The victory, achieved in front of such dignitaries as former Russian president Boris Yeltsin and Argentina football legend Diego Maradona, gives Russia a 2-1 lead. With only two singles matches to come on Sunday, a victory in either will bring them their first Davis Cup on home soil. The Russians dominated from the start. At 2-1 in the first set Nalbandian first served up a double fault then witnessed two Tursunov drives clip off the netcord to beat him for the first break. Giant Marat Safin acknowledged the part that luck played in the opening set. "The key was winning the first set," he said on-court afterwards. "We were lucky to win the first one. The pressure was on them from then on." If Nalbandian's face belied his feelings at that point, there was worse to follow. The Argentines had to wait four games before even registering a point on the Russians' serve. In contrast, both of the South Americans had trouble finding form on their own serve, particularly world number eight Nalbandian. The consistent returning of both Russians gave them problems on every point, and they had to fight to hold. Tursunov again showed his doubles pedigree with an array of powerful strokes, complimented by the clever net play of Safin, who had been drafted in to replace the injured Mikhail Youzhny before the start. Nalbandian dropped another serve, a dispiriting love game for his team, to give Russia the first set. Tursunov opined that the victory was achieved through common sense, rather than flair. "Our tactic was to play simple tennis," he said. "We played to our strengths. We didn't want to stay out there too long and let them get into the match." If simple tennis involves dominant serving, consistent returning and teamwork, then it clearly wins doubles matches. After holding comfortably twice in the second set, Russia broke Nalbandian for a third time to take a 3-1 lead, another love game. They did not need to break again, the set ending 6-3. Safin agreed that consistency was essential in securing an unassailable lead. "All the way from the beginning until the end we were solid, serving well, returning well. Everything worked for us." Tursunov played a couple of beautiful winners down the middle to break immediately in the third set and really put pressure on Argentina. Calleri served well and both tried gallantly to secure the much-needed break, but they simply had no answer for the combination of power and stroke play. The score finished 6-4 6-3 6-2. Questioned on the chances of a singles appearance tomorrow, the in-form Tursunov replied: "It is too early for me to think about tomorrow. We'll see how the players feel and the captain will make a decision." |
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Post by SAFINNO1 on Dec 2, 2006 17:22:40 GMT 3
DAVAI BOYS
GREAT VICTORY
Interesting thoughts going into tomroow will Kolya play if he does will Marat play.
Mitya has stamped his name down for tomorrow but in
Shamil we trust
UDACHI RUSSIA
Yesterday
2006 DAVIS CUP FINALS
ARGENTINA vs. RUSSIA
MOSCOW, RUSSIA
December 1, 2006
D. NALBANDIAN/M. Safin
6-4, 6-4, 6-4
MARAT SAFIN
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. If you compare the match to the three last matches you played against Nalbandian, New York, Paris and here, what is the difference?
MARAT SAFIN: The thing is the surface suits him perfectly. He plays great tennis on this type of surface. He won a tournament in Basel. It is not the type of surface that is quite convenient for me. It's hard for me to move on this court, find my game. You can't play the best of your tennis in this kind of match. There is very little you can hope for.
Q. You fought at some points and broke your opponent in the third set. You said the surface is not quite convenient for you. It means we're not going to see you on Sunday?
MARAT SAFIN: I had my chances today but it was hard for me to find my game. Especially on this kind of surface, it's much better for him.
As far as the third day goes, I'd say it would be the decisive third day, and I hope Nikolay Davydenko can beat David, though it will be very tough for him to beat him because David is playing great on this surface. Then we'll see. I'm ready to play the decisive match if there is a need for it.
Q. If Nalbandian plays the way he played today, is there any chance for any Russian to beat him for the singles? Tarpischev said on the first day that they were picking the surface to make sure it's the best and most convenient for the Russians. You said this is not the most convenient surface for you. There is some kind of contradiction here. Time was, they were picking surfaces to suit Safin. What's the reason for it?
MARAT SAFIN: The thing is, a lot was said about the surface. If you ask me about Nalbandian, I think Nalbandian, if he plays the way he played today on the third day, he's in great shape, it will be extremely hard for Nikolay Davydenko to beat him. The match can go either way. Davydenko won rather easily against Chela, except for the third set. Still, I think it will be very hard for him to beat Nalbandian.
As far as the surface goes, again, I don't want to offend anyone. I just want to say that this is not the kind of surface which suits my game a hundred percent. We were practicing on a different kind of surface in a small hall here. That surface was laid on a different kind of a cushion, made of parquet and carpet. Here it was laid on cement and carpet. It's a bit different. I feel really uncomfortable moving on this kind of surface.
We had some kind of discussion on the bench with Captain Tarpischev. If he took offense at myself, I would like to apologize because I really respect him a lot. But he should also understand myself because I was running here, but I was not able to do anything. It really hurts a lot when you're trying to do something to bring a point to your team in front of your home crowd and you really can't do anything.
Again, he's an adult man. I hope he gets me right. If he was offended by that discussion on the bench, I want to apologize.
Q. Could you elaborate on the discussion you had on the bench with the captain. At which point in the match did this discussion take place?
MARAT SAFIN: It was a discussion between two men. It's a men's conversation. Somebody got offended. I didn't mean anything bad. It's purely an internal discussion.
I just want to say here, since I'm on the air, people are probably broadcasting this press conference, I want to apologize again out of respect for the man. I had nothing against him. I just expressed my opinion.
I think at this point we can close the discussion. I hope he won't be having any hard feelings against me.
Q. Your former coach, Peter Lundgren, was supporting you during the match. Did he say anything special to you?
MARAT SAFIN: We maintained a good relationship even though we are no longer working together. He's just enjoying himself here in Moscow. Of course, he got a bit upset after my loss. He just expressed his opinion over the match. He shared that opinion with me.
Q. What did he say to you?
MARAT SAFIN: Doesn't matter (smiling).
Q. Are you going to prolong your contract with your current coach, Alexander Volkov?
MARAT SAFIN: I just haven't thought about it yet. I just need to organize myself, think what I have to do next year. I haven't made my decision yet about the coach and the contract.
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Post by Chachou on Dec 2, 2006 17:25:30 GMT 3
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Post by justsafin on Dec 2, 2006 17:25:47 GMT 3
I am so so so happy for Marat and Dima!!!
Marat must have been very frustrated about yesterday's loss. Today he made it!! Bring one more point to Russia !!!
I was so worried about Marat playing doubles becuz Nalbandian is a good doubles player...He teamed up with Coria to capture Wimby doubles junior title........
Anyways, they did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YES YES YES YES YES
DAVAI MARAT!!
DAVAI DIMA!!
DAVIA RUSSIA!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Chachou on Dec 2, 2006 18:04:08 GMT 3
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Post by kuniochi on Dec 2, 2006 18:13:47 GMT 3
Amazing, amazing play! ;D ;D ;D DiMarat rulezzzz! Please Kolya, finish Nalby tomorrow!  |
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Post by sonya on Dec 2, 2006 18:39:20 GMT 3
I think we have pics of the fight on the bench  -those where Marat is gesticulating with his hands and has a moody face  . Nice to see he apologized after the things calmed down-poor Tarpi,who knows what Marat told him,he must have been really upset when Marat had to apologize so many times in public  ... Nice to hear about Peter and Marat maintaining friends  . One thing tho-everybody is talking about Yeltzin and Maradona,and no one mentiones that our Annie was there???  |
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Post by Patxy on Dec 2, 2006 18:46:38 GMT 3
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Post by Patxy on Dec 2, 2006 19:38:01 GMT 3
CBS Sportsline Safin steps in, leads Russia to doubles victory over Argentina Dec. 2, 2006  Marat Safin says he's still not comfortable with the surface, but it wasn't a factor in doubles.MOSCOW -- Marat Safin and Dmitry Tursunov beat Argentina's David Nalbandian and Agustin Calleri 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to put Russia within one victory of its second Davis Cup title. The win gave Russia a 2-1 advantage heading into Sunday's matches. Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev brought in Safin to replace Mikhail Youzhny for the doubles, surprising given Safin's disappointment with the synthetic indoor carpet at Olympic Stadium, which he blamed for his straight-sets loss to Nalbandian on Friday. He said the court was still "uncomfortable" for him, but that it wasn't such a factor in doubles because less movement is required. "I knew from the beginning of the week that I wanted to play all three days," Safin said. "I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer." Nikolay Davydenko had earlier put Russia ahead by beating Juan Ignacio Chela. Tursunov and Safin conceded only one point in their first-set service games and broke their struggling opponents in the fourth game. Nalbandian opened the fourth game with a double-fault and lost at love to put Russia up 3-1 in the second set, an advantage that was too much to overcome. The Russians opened the third set with a break and continued to dominate until Tursunov served out the match, which lasted 1 hour, 38 minutes. "We didn't want to stay out there too long and let them get in the match," said Tursunov, who had eight of Russia's 11 aces. "Marat and I agreed that we would simply play our game and let them make mistakes, and that's what they did throughout the match." The loss was a first in doubles this season for Nalbandian, who was scheduled to play Davydenko on Sunday's first reverse singles match. Safin was to face Chela in the second match, although substitutions can be made up to an hour before the match. In reverse singles, players swap opponents from the first-day singles matches. "At the beginning we couldn't make any returns, we didn't play many points when they served -- and they returned well and gained confidence," Nalbandian said. "That was tough." Russia is seeking its first Davis Cup title at home, after beating France for the cup in Paris in 2002. Argentina has never won the trophy. AP NEWS The Associated Press News Service www.sportsline.com/tennis/story/9844067 |
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Post by davis on Dec 2, 2006 19:59:34 GMT 3
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-those where Marat is gesticulating with his hands and has a moody face 
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