Kooyong 2007

[lau]

thiaela said:

Sorry I think that I miss
what is RR

Round Robin

[Patxy]

Herald Sun
05jan07

SAFIN JOINS EARLY BIRD ROGER
RUSSIAN challenger Marat Safin has copied defending champion Roger Federer's early Australian arrival.
Bruce Matthews


Straight to work: Marat Safin re-acquaints himself with Rod Laver Arena yesterday. Picture: Colleen Petch

Safin landed yesterday and went straight for a swim in the bay to cool off before heading to Melbourne Park.
However he had to sit and wait until Federer and his Australian coach Tony Roche finished a second practice session on sunbaked Rod Laver Arena.

Safin waited patiently while the world No. 1 rounded off his early Australian Open preparations.

The parties exchanged greetings courtside during the handover before Safin stepped on to centre court, where the pair will play most of their matches in 2007's first grand slam event, starting on Monday week.

The pair are likely to get an early form guide in head-to-head combat as part of a talent-laden eight-man field for the AAMI Classic starting next Wednesday at Kooyong.

Safin saved two match points against Federer in a gripping 2005 Australian Open semi-final and he went on to beat Aussie hope Lleyton Hewitt for the title. A knee injury forced the unpredictable Russian to miss the Open last January, but he has gradually rebuilt his singles ranking to 26 to be guaranteed a seeding this time.

The world's top-ranked player late in 2000, Safin has enjoyed only a brief rest after playing two singles matches in Russia's triumph against Argentina in the home Davis Cup final in early December.

With former tour player Alexander Volkov as his coach, Safin returns to Kooyong next week for the first time since shoulder soreness prompted him to pull out of the 2002 classic after the first match of the round-robin series.
(....)
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,21013854-3162,00.html

[arwen21]

[Annie]

Damn, it's good to have him back ;D ;D ;D ;D God bless hot weather

Thanks arwen

[arwen21]

admin said:

Damn, it's good to have him back ;D ;D ;D ;D God bless hot weather

Thanks arwen

A pleassure!!!! yeas it´s great!!! i can´t wait to see him play!!!

[Marie]

Marat is looking super pale...hopefully practicing under the sun will give him some color. Otherwise, no complaints

[mackiemad]

kooyong, i can't wait!!! got my tix, behind play two rows up. indeed i am very happy! the place was buzzing when i went and played with my usual catch-up-with-mum game on thursday. they have all the press stuff ready and the grass courts are looking fantastic-they must be the only place in victoria - nigh australia - that is able to water the lawns! the actual court is all decked out. now all we need is marat to get on the court (would it be too much to dream or ask for, for him to play topless - it'll help his tan!!)

[lau]

mbm said:

Marat is looking super pale...hopefully practicing under the sun will give him some color. Otherwise, no complaints

Actually,... during the last months I´ve been thinking in the consequences sun exposure, specially when tennis players are so often outdoors, under a summer sun. I guess he knows it better than me, but..., honestly..., they should never play shirtless under the sun (specially in the Southern hemisphere). I´m sure they use sun ¿blockers? (I forgot the word), though.
Of course, I won´t say I don´t enjoy seeing him shirtless

EDIT: Funny how all of us started posting in the AO thread today LOL ;D ;D I guess we all miss Slams ;D

[Marie]

lau said:

Funny how all of us started posting in the AO thread today LOL ;D ;D I guess we all miss Slams ;D

As much as I hate how the players have a short off season, at the same time I'm glad because fans like us don't have to wait as long for the action to start.

[avalon]

lau said:

EDIT: Funny how all of us started posting in the AO thread today LOL ;D ;D I guess we all miss Slams ;D

I know. It's like the lions waiting for the Christians to be thrown in..........circling, salivating, growling, clawing, waiting, waiting.....................
We do have to wait 11 months of the year to get them down here, so it's no wonder we are so impatient for some action ;D

[Chachou]

[maryb]

Hot weather, what's that?

I have to say, I think the big yin looks rather bronzed from where I'm sitting. ;D I'm just back from Dumfries (southern Scotland). Wind, rain, wind, rain, wind ... sun on the final day. Even then I had on a parka and four layers of thermals. Could barely stay upright with the excess weight. Visited the famous Gretna Green and touched the anvil. You're supposed to jump over it when you get married. Bonds you forever more in harmony ... or some nonsense like that. Christ, I could never have managed it with the excess baggage, it took me all my time to extend my arm out of the parka.

I'm still hoping that the big yin will give me a birthday present on Saturday. No reason why he can't go all the way. Hope he keeps going with the tactics of mixing up his game and getting his wee arse off the baseline. A bit more net play is what I'm hoping for this year. And a Wimbles win.

PS Good to see young Andy in the Doha final. Thought he was a bit petulant at the end of today's match though. Camera was on him when he got a text on his mobile from someone (mum or girlfriend no doubt). He read it ... and then threw it down.

Get a grip boy. You got to the final. And you were beaten by the better man on the day.

[kuniochi]

Possible livestream for Kooyong! I hope it works!

livevideo.betfair.com

[emma]

kuniochi said:

Possible livestream for Kooyong! I hope it works!

livevideo.betfair.com

Thanks a lot Veni

Good to see you back

[iman]

emma said:

kuniochi said:

Possible livestream for Kooyong! I hope it works!

livevideo.betfair.com

Thanks a lot Veni

Good to see you back

i second that!!! THANK YOU VENI!!!!! ;D ;D ;D