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Post by avalon on Jan 11, 2007 2:58:23 GMT 3
How bad is this. I watched Marat walk out of the club house and on to court. When I took my seat I noticed David was there and I went 'hmmm, I didn't see him walk out'. Then when I was looking through my photos I noticed he walked out behind Marat. Just goes to show how much presence Marat has.  |
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Post by Patxy on Jan 11, 2007 3:01:44 GMT 3
All the best luck, Avalon & silvermoonlight! Looking forward for pics! ;D I only hope Marat won't take this exhibition match too seriously or else...  |
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Post by sonya on Jan 11, 2007 3:10:11 GMT 3
I better run, Marat and Rog are waiting. ;D  I keep talking to people that I'm spending January 2008 in Australia,you guys are killing me  .Yea,it would be easier to go to any other tournament,BUT I want to come to you guys! ;D ;D A little escape from winter as well .Plus,I'm getting a great support from my parents!lol |
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Post by sonya on Jan 11, 2007 3:11:38 GMT 3
Have fun lovely!  |
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Post by avalon on Jan 11, 2007 3:22:40 GMT 3
They were saying today how lucky we are to have Kooyong. Anywhere in the world you would have to wait for a final, probably a Grand Slam or Masters to catch these two in action. The field is just great, games are great, atmosphere amazing. You should definitely come. Mulan Ladies on Tour January 2008  |
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Post by LaFFy TaFFy on Jan 11, 2007 6:38:50 GMT 3
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Post by Patxy on Jan 11, 2007 6:47:48 GMT 3
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Post by yse on Jan 11, 2007 10:39:48 GMT 3
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Post by Annie on Jan 11, 2007 11:44:16 GMT 3
OMFG avalon wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AMAZING work!!!!!!!! And she told me today's photos would be BETTER woohooo ;D ;D ;D Can't wait... Thanks for the other photos as well....love them ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by lena on Jan 11, 2007 12:09:48 GMT 3
ehm, it works for me and I am not in UK  ..... , but due to my job I have desided to sleep, but all my thoughts was there |
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Post by Annie on Jan 11, 2007 12:10:27 GMT 3
AAMI CLASSIC
Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club
Thursday, 11 January 2007
MARAT SAFIN
Q. It was a bit windy out there today, Marat. Was that a good test of the serves?
A. Yes, a little bit. Sometimes it was very difficult to serve, so that's why I was missing a lot of first serves, and it was a little bit difficult to compete against him on the baseline.
Q. When we spoke to Roger, he said that your attacking game had improved. Do you feel that you're playing better now than in 2005?
A. Yes. Well, it took me quite a lot of time to get here, to where I am, and I think I've improved my game a little bit, step by step, for the past year. Wimbledon was pretty tough for me, and with my knee injury, but I'm pretty satisfied with the way my game improved. I can play serve and volley, I can play some different styles, so it helps a lot.
Q. It's always a good match-up when you play Roger, it's always a nice match to watch from the outside. Although he's a very difficult opponent, do you enjoy to play against him?
A. Yes, I really enjoy it. It's a big challenge for me, it's a completely different style game, compared to other players, and for me it's a huge challenge. I always enjoy it, even though I didn't beat him many times, but I was very close on a few of them. And my next few years that I'm playing here, I would love to break him a little bit and take advantage of that, when we have been playing for a long time, to beat him a few times.
Q. You are always capable of beating him, but do you think that's mentally good for you, to know that some players seem to go to matches with him knowing it will be very hard, but you seem to ...
A. No, even though he's tough, I like to play against him. I just -- you need to get used to the pace of his ball, and then to play a little bit more and more. And I think whenever I have an opportunity I will definitely -- it's a bit tough for him to beat me, and I will try to -- not to break myself any more and not have any more injuries, because that's why it's difficult to catch up with him, when you are coming out from an injury.
Q. Do you prefer a shorter season or the same season going along?
A. The same season. But I guess I will be playing a little bit less this year, and then I have no other choice than just to continue, and I guess I'll rest somewhere in between, take a few weeks in summer.
Q. What did you do this summer?
A. Well, I had one week off, and then went to Spain to practise a little bit.
Q. Do you have any concrete goals for next season, like the whole season (inaudible) ...
A. Well, I think my position has changed, and I hope I still keep myself healthy, because for the past four years, I have been injured two of them, and it's difficult all the time to try to come back and try to recover, and to get back where I was, and get back in shape. And also, with the knee injury, whatever happens to your legs, it's quite difficult to start to move the same speed, the same pace, without having in the back of my head that I can run without any problems. So it's kind of tough, and hopefully -- I've been playing pretty well the last four months, to continue this way this year, it will be a big, big difference for 2008, because I've been playing continuously without any injuries for over half a year, seven months.
Q. You said before that you're trying not to break yourself any more. Could you be more specific on that?
A. I mean not to get injured.
Q. Hopefully.
A. Hopefully, because you never know. That's why I said I would play a little bit less tournaments and concentrate just on the big ones. And now I'm travelling since a year with a doctor watching out for me, and after a certain age you need to do that.
Q. Do you feel like your game is at a stage where you can really challenge in the Australian Open, or do you think you've got a little bit left to go?
A. Well, you cannot improve anything in the next four days, so I guess I am where I am right now, and I'm pretty satisfied. Today I played a pretty good match, and for me it's like a really big -- like, to see myself where I am right now. I was a break up in the second set and I was very close to winning the second one. So if I can compete on the same level with Federer, it means that you are in good shape. And then also another thing is just it's very important to have a good draw the first few rounds, and then you get the confidence, and you can continue in the second week or somewhere there.
Q. Was it just a mental lapse there in the second set when you got a break up?
A. It kind of started to be a little bit windy and I missed -- I couldn't serve for the first serve, and he played quite good shots, and I missed one backhand, and that's it, it was gone. So there was nothing really -- nothing scares me. And if I can continue this way, I think, if we're going to meet somewhere in the Australian Open, I think it's going to be a tough match.
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Post by sonya on Jan 11, 2007 12:17:38 GMT 3
And very, very last ROGER, for sonja    |
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ace
Junior Member
Posts: 58
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Post by ace on Jan 11, 2007 12:45:20 GMT 3
Wow!! Great photos from Avalon! Whoa Tommy! And did I spy a bit of the turquoise undies peeking out on Marat? Yeah!
Thanks for the transcript from the press conference too!
Too bad about the loss to Roger, but at least is seems it was competitive. Can't to wait hear and see more from Kooyong!
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Post by Annie on Jan 11, 2007 12:46:08 GMT 3
I saw Marat yesterday after the match where he won Nalbandian at Kooyong. He walked out of the stadium and OMG he is soooo much good-looking in person. Couldn't get an autograph cos he only signed a few and it was really HOT day. I can't believe I survived such wacky weather in Melbourne..To make matters worse, my friend's cam ran out of battery as Marat was just a metre away from us.. omg!! Now gotta wait for AO.. Totally agree with him being much more goodlooking in life than on photos...YES it is possible lol ;D Welcome to TGFR silvermoonlight, glad you joined ;D Hope you stick around and have some fun here with us  |
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Post by Annie on Jan 11, 2007 13:01:42 GMT 3
Federer beats Safin, advances to final
By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer
January 11, 2007
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Roger Federer got back into form quickly, beating Marat Safin 6-3, 7-6 (2) Thursday to reach the final of the Kooyong exhibition tournament.
Federer said he felt more comfortable, hit more clean winners and had fewer unforced errors than he did in his first match of the 2007 season the previous afternoon.
He shook off some rust in a 7-6 (2), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5) win over Radek Stepanek on Wednesday, winning the last five points in the tiebreaker to seal it in hot conditions and a swirling wind.
"I definitely served better and just tightened up the game a bit, so I was really happy," Federer said. "I was expecting a really tough match because yesterday I was struggling with the rhythm and everything.
"But I came out and played really well, didn't make many unforced errors in the wind and could hang with him from the baseline."
The top-ranked Federer was in control of the first set Thursday, breaking Safin's serve in the fourth game, giving himself two set points in the ninth with a backhand volley winner and closing with an ace.
He had some lapses in the second, wasting two break chances in the third game before dropping serve in the sixth.
But the 25-year-old Swiss star got back on serve and forced the tiebreaker, setting up five match points with an angled backhand volley and finishing it off when Safin dumped a backhand into the net.
Federer skipped the Qatar Open this year after opening the previous two seasons with wins at Doha. He said the extra rest between seasons would serve him well in the long term, particularly after a hectic 2006 in which he went 92-5 and won three Grand Slam singles titles.
He said he was satisfied with his first two matches in the eight-man invitational draw at Kooyong and was looking ahead to next week's Australian Open, where he is the defending champion.
"Yesterday, I had too many loose moments, but it was obvious that was going to happen," Federer said. "It was just a matter of getting my act together for today, and I did, so I'm feeling good."
Federer will play either Andy Roddick or Andy Murray in Saturday's final.
Defending champion Roddick, who beat Tommy Haas 6-2, 6-3 Wednesday, and Scotland's Murray, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over Ivan Ljubicic, will meet Friday for a place in the final.
Safin, the 2005 Australian Open champion, struggled with injuries last season. He moved more than 70 places up the rankings late in the year after falling outside the top 100.
"It took me quite a lot of time to get here, to where I am and I think I've improved my game a little bit, step by step, for the past year," Safin said. "I'm pretty satisfied with the way my game improved."
In the relegation group, Ljubicic beat Haas 7-6 (5), 6-4 and Stepanek beat Chile's Fernando Gonzalez 6-4, 7-6 (4).
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.Yea,it would be easier to go to any other tournament,BUT I want to come to you guys! ;D ;D A little escape from winter as well 
Sixpack guard 
"Why did it take you so long to come to the press conference?" 