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Post by maribrasil on Dec 4, 2006 16:01:52 GMT 3
Q. After Nikolay Davydenko had a quick loss to Nalbandian, did you face a tough choice whom to play?NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It wasn't quite a quick loss because I was running for three hours. Q. Dimitry Tursunov, you just won the Davis Cup with your team. You also won the title of Emeritus Master of Sport. Don't you feel a bit sorry that it was not you who brought the decisive point to the team?DIMITRY TURSUNOV: I just won the title, which is awarded in Russia, Emeritus Master of Sport on that occasion without even sweating on the court, so it feels really great for me (smiling). Q. About the support of the Argentinian crowd. It was pretty noisy. They lost in terms of numbers to the Russian crowd, but not in terms of emotion. Can you say that today was a great rehearsal before your first round Davis Cup tie playing in Chile next year?SHAMIL: I think you made a great suggestion. We should be taking the crazy fans of the Spartak football club along to Chile (smiling). __________________  |
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Post by bia2209 on Dec 4, 2006 17:37:05 GMT 3
An article from Monday's L'Equipe
[glow=red,2,300]TSAR IN HIS COUNTRY[/glow]
Marat Safin finally allowed Russian to win the Davis Cup for the first time on home soil.
Nalbandian had leveled Russia and Argentina at the beginning of the afternoon, taking advantage of Davydenko’s extreme tension. (6-2 6-2 4-6 6-4) but Marat Safin was able to bring his country the second Davis Cup of its history, dominating Acasuso in the decisive fifth rubber (6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6)
He bounced out of his chair and sprinted towards Marat Safin who had just given Russia its second Davis Cup. More exactly, he got up off his bench (a bit) animatedly and trotted towards his leader, who he then hugged, not by half.
Even if tonicity is not his strength, Shamil Taripchev, at 58 years old, is as of yesterday, the only captain of all time to have won both the Davis and Fed Cups more than once and all in the last five seasons. Proof not only of the health and density of Russian tennis but also of Taripischev’s skill at bringing the best out of his players when it matters most.
Nevertheless there had been a doubt about Tarpischev’s clairvoyance during this final, which was fittingly concluded by Marat Safin, without trembling, in the decisive fifth rubber against Jose Acasuso.
Davydenko Frozen
Thrown in as a replacement for Juan Ignacio Chela in the first decisive fifth rubber of his career, Acasuso, 24 years old and ranked 27th in the world, despite a solid all round performance, proved to be too tender to manage both the historical weight of the match, which would have given his country its first ever Davis Cup, and the power of an adversary that had banished the frustration caused by the surface, which had parasite-ed the beginning of his weekend.
Safin complained a lot on Friday about the surface chosen by his captain for this final. He implicitly attributed his defeat to Nalbandian, to his inability to move on the carpet provided by a Croatian friend of Taripischev’s. Last night, no one wanted to hear any more about that story which had turned into a minor detail.
“One of the keys to the final was the argument Marat had with Tarpischev Friday night, “ Sasha Volkov, Russian team coach and Safin’s own on again off again coach. “After that, Marat stopped complaining and got on with playing tennis. It’s a simple as that. And since he is a great fighter, he was able to win it for us.”
For the job to fall to Safin, Nalbandian had to first put the two teams level by beating Davydenko, earlier in the afternoon at the term of a match that he controlled by 90%. The only minor blip came between 4-4 in the third and 2-0 to Davydenko in the fourth. The 8 ranked player showed himself to be fresher and more solid than the number 3.
“As soon as I put my feet on the court, I felt weak like I’ve never felt before.” Davydenko admitted after his loss. “I couldn’t feel my muscles or the ball. I even thought I would lose in three sets. I tried to listen to my brother who was talking to me but no one could do anything to help me in that situation. It was like I was frozen. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“It’s true that he helped me a lot and that I was a bit too passive in the third.” added Nalbandian “But I never felt worried in this match.”
He would find less reasons to be serene coming out of his press conference and joining the Argentine team courtside.
Against an Acasuso who had never played a match with even half the importance of this one, and who needed time to measure the event, Safin began the decisive fifth rubber on a roll, breaking right away and serving out the first set.
Safin remembered…
The Russian had won the last three fifth rubbers that he’d played in Davis Cup and never did the pressure tied to this eventual collective sudden death make him lose the plot. There was a minor distraction in the middle of the second set, where he let two break points slide and then conceded his own serve right after. But the loss of the second set was just a detail.
Acasuso’s real chance came in the third set where he recovered a break at 2-4. His inexperience showed as he allowed Safin to break again and serve out the third set, avoiding thus that any doubt should install itself in Safin’s spirit.
At 2 sets to 1, the match turned into a demonstration of unstoppable serves. In twelve games only three points were won by the returners. But in the tie break, Safin, zero titles since the Australian Open in 2005, remembered what it’s like to force fate in the important moments. A backhand winner offered him the mini break. He made the error on his first match point but Acasuso returned the favor netting a forehand on the next one, provoking the delirium of the Russian team who pounced on Safin to lift him up in triumph.
And even coming from further away most of them got to him before Tarpishev.
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Post by Annie on Dec 4, 2006 17:41:15 GMT 3
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Post by Annie on Dec 4, 2006 17:42:38 GMT 3
Thanks for translating the article Bia sweetie  |
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Marie
Junior Member
Posts: 112
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Post by Marie on Dec 4, 2006 18:28:08 GMT 3
Safin turns from villain to hero after Davis Cup win
By Gennady Fyodorov
MOSCOW, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Marat Safin, heavily criticised by the media for his perceived arrogance and flamboyant lifestyle, has been hailed as Russia's saviour after he clinched the country's second Davis Cup title.
Safin beat Jose Acasuso 6-3 3-6 6-3 7-6 in a nerve-racking fifth and decisive rubber before a capacity 10,000-strong home crowd at Moscow's Olympic arena on Sunday to seal Russia's 3-2 victory over Argentina in the three-day final.
"Marat saved Russia!" trumpeted a headline in the popular tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda on Monday.
"Safin played a key role in Russia's victory," echoed the influential business daily Kommersant. "First, he teamed up with Dmitry Tursunov to win the doubles on Saturday, then overpowered the dogged Acasuso to seal a great victory."
Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev, who on Sunday became the first person to lead his country to two Davis and two Fed Cup titles, also praised Safin.
"We had two choices for the last rubber and I picked Safin over Tursunov mainly for his big-match experience," explained Tarpishchev, dubbed a "tennis genius" by fellow coaches and some of his players. "It proved the right decision after all. Marat not only won the last point, he also saved my reputation."
It was not all plain sailing for the temperamental Safin, however.
Just a day before, he was vilifed by local media after meekly surrendering to Argentina number one David Nalbandian in straight sets in Friday's singles.
LAVISH LIFESTYLE
Press reports said the 26-year-old Muscovite, long known for his lavish lifestyle and night-time escapades, was seen partying in a posh nightclub on the eve of his match with Nalbandian.
Over the weekend, Safin bitterly complained about the court surface, was involved in a heated discussion with the team captain and had to overcome injury and fatigue to win the decider.
The former world number one was also accused of over-confidence after suggesting at Thursday's draw that Russia would clinch the tie in two days.
But it was all forgotten on Sunday as Safin was thronged by jubilant team mates and embraced by former Russian President Boris Yeltsin after scoring the winning point.
Asked to compare his feelings to the 2002 victory over France in Paris, Safin told reporters: "This one is probably a bit more special because it happened at home in front of all our fans."
The former Australian and U.S. Open champion said the win was especially memorable for him following a difficult season, plagued by injuries and inconsistent form.
"This was really bad year for me, probably the worst in my whole career," said Safin, who earlier this year tumbled out of the top 100 in the ATP rankings for the first time since making his professional debut at a 17-year-old in 1997.
"So winning the Davis Cup should give me a much-needed confidence boost," he said. "I really hope to do well next year, regain my rankings. I'm especially looking forward to playing in the Australian Open after missing it this year with a knee injury and not defending the title I won in 2005."
Safin also thanked Argentina's soccer great Diego Maradona for being his lucky charm.
The Russian, a big Spartak Moscow fan, said it was his long-time dream to meet the former World Cup-winning captain.
"I shook hands with Maradona on Saturday and it brought me luck. It was that magic left hand, the Hand of God," Safin said on Sunday. "I think his Midas touch just rubbed off me."
Maradona scored the first of his two goals with his left hand in Argentina's 2-1 quarter-final win over England in the 1986 World Cup finals. He later called it the "Hand of God".
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Post by safinbgfan on Dec 4, 2006 18:41:02 GMT 3
I want a photo where there is only Marat with the cup!  |
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Post by sonya on Dec 4, 2006 19:01:14 GMT 3
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Post by sonya on Dec 4, 2006 19:03:02 GMT 3
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Post by safinbgfan on Dec 4, 2006 19:41:13 GMT 3
Dobromir,I captured one photo where he's lifting a trophy[it's a small one tho],but my intention is to drool over his stomack,'cause his shirt lifted up as well  .You don't have to drool...     Thank you!!! ;D |
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Post by mari on Dec 4, 2006 20:03:23 GMT 3
;D ;D   |
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Post by yse on Dec 4, 2006 20:13:25 GMT 3
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Post by yse on Dec 4, 2006 20:21:06 GMT 3
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Post by yse on Dec 4, 2006 20:29:57 GMT 3
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Post by sonya on Dec 4, 2006 20:36:36 GMT 3
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Post by lena on Dec 4, 2006 20:55:42 GMT 3
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.You don't have to drool...
Sixpack guard 
