Well the evening started off lovely, with the Tennis Channel showing an interview that their blond starlet reporter did with Marat.
First thing she asked was about him having said he wanted to work on his mental toughness this year and what exactly that meant.
And he was saying that it was important to just keep his mind on the game. Not let bad conditions and things bother him. keep his temper in check, even when he's losing.
Then she wanted to know, how hard that was, keeping the emotions in check. To which Marat said, it's impossible to play tennis without getting pissed every once in a while because no one likes to lose.
They asked who had that kind of toughness. He said Federer. He has the game, the talent, the movement and the head. Also Hewitt had that when he was at the top of his game.
I don't actually remember the rest now casue the match has started. I'll update this report after watching the replay tomorrow morning
Marat was off to a decent start. Still hitting cleanly. He got the break right away but then didn't hold serve
. You can tell that Marat and Lleyton know each other inside out. The hitting from both of them was
and I am convinced after all of 3 games that if they keep this up I will be dead by the end of the night.
So if I suddenly goes quiet...well you'll never see this report and it won't matter.
This is a tight start. They are keeping each other in sight. 2-2 now.
Marat getting just a tiny bit sloppy here, in that he's going for a lot on his shots. So there a more misses there than he would like. But they aren't really cheap misses either.
3-2 Hewitt. This is tense stuff. I know I've said that before but it is. I was nervous before the match started, even though i have total faith in Marat - GOD DAMN NET CORD! WHAT IS WITH THAT??? - and I am still nervous.
Absolutely brilliant point from Marat to win the game to come back to 3-3. A backhand up the line that was....*swoon* These long rallies though. They are killing me. Can barely breathe at times..I mean, you just automatically are holding your breath waiting to see who is going to crack first, praying to god that it's not going to be Marat....
Then they spliced in a quick interview with Lleyton talking about Marat. He said, he was expecting a tough match. That Marat has a lot of firepower and somehow he was going to try to dampen that.. That they'd have tough matches in the past and that Marat was a good bloke.
Back to the match. Hewitt still making those foot faults. Remember them from AO 05? Deuce on Hewitt's serve. 3-3. A runway match for sure huh?
Break point for Marat wasted. Why Maratik, why?
Hewitt wants the ace but Marat challenging for the second time. he was right the first time. Wrong this time.
A bloody amazing point. Another one of those endless rallies. And as you'd expect, Lleyton happy to just keep hitting. Eventually Marat tries to change things up with a little slice shot but it doesn't clear the net and the game goes to Hewitt. 4-3.
There are these girls with a poster saying "I LOVE MARAT". You and million other women, ladies. Take a number.
Marat? Are you deliberately trying to give me a heart attack? What did we discuss about the drop shot? Never mind that you got away with it THIS time....
GRRRRR!! Hewitt can't buy a first serve. And Marat nets two second serve returns. Silly Maratik...but he half makes up for it with a lovely backhand cross court. Not enough to stop Hewitt taking the game though. 5-4 to the Aussie.
We are officially in the money time of this first set.
Hewitt is a maniac... the balls he's getting back....and oh ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves for a truly profound and life changing phrase from the very best of the Tennis Channel's commentary team.
"It must be tough being a Marat Safin fan."
I won't even bother to comment.
Meanwhile, brilliant hands from Marat to close off the game and come back to 5-5.
0-15 on Hewitt's serve. Marat sends a shot sailing wide of the baseline. Sexy shoulder shrug. Nice to look at but not indicative of anything good tennis wise.
Ok. 6-5 Lleyton.
Marat lost the first set. BUT he lost the first set to Lleyton in the AO final and we know how that turned out. The first idomatic thing I learned to say in Russian - As Marat sends the racket flying- "Nadezhda umiraet posledney" which means "hope dies last". Who knows that better than Marat's fans?
20 winner 22 UE's for Marat at the mo. Hewitt, as expected. 6 winners 8 UE's. This match depends on Marat playing his best. If he does, he'll win. It's that simple and that complicated.
1-1 at the second set. Marat's just pulled that hop backhand that so many of us love. But then nets a backhand and screams out his rage and frustration. Undoubtely using not very polite Russian.
He started to look annoyed now.
and he's getting sloppy. More muttering. GOD DAMN IT MARAT MIKHAILOVICH! WTF ARE YOU DOING? translation: Marat just got broke and is 3-1 down with Lleyton serving.
He was down 3-1 against Igor too though. He's just hit a lovely forehand winner and changed rackets. 0-15. Great backhand and now 0-30. How nice of you to fnally rejoin us Marat. Did you enjoy your tour of Las Vegas?
Blah. 30-30 and now 40-30.
;D ;D Backhand brilliance and now deuce.
Marat standing there with hands on hips and shaking his head.
Sends a forehand sailing all the way back to Moscow.
Time out from the match - Zhenya in the Tennis Channel commentary booth.
He said he had a great time this week. He says it's the first time he's seen himself (they showed him highlights) and he said it was cool.
He says he known Marat for a while. He's a great guy tennis wise and off the court too. That's its tough now casue Lleyton not missing any shots. And Marat going for shots too soon. And the way he says Marat's name is so cute.
Zhenya says he never actually learned a backhand. It just kind of came naturally.
Zhenya now saying that Marat is feeling the pressure. It's 5-1 at this point. He is saying it doesn't looking like a Russian day tennis wise today.
Marat is just looking totally dejected. Can't even throw his racket right at the moment.
He looks completely, totally disgusted.
Zhenya saying that Marat can't afford to be even the sligtest bit off otherewise his shots go all over the place. And that it was a good fight from Lleyton.
Zhenya is a cute kid. And I feel like crying now. I hate when he loses.
Ok, yada yada. He's hitting cleaner than we've seen in a while and a quater final in san jose and a semi here are not catastrophic results. Just we want so much more for him.
He didn't play well enough today. That's all there is to it. And believe me I hate writing it as much as you hate reading it.
And you know that thing I said about hope dying last earlier? Well she (hope is feminine in Russian which explains why she hasn't deserted Marat yet) might not be dead but she's definitely in a coma at the moment. And it's not the diabetic kind.
ROTFLOL
- apart from my house got clean(as described in the matchs discussion thread)..any details we want to hear, or will it be too painfull?
. You can tell that Marat and Lleyton know each other inside out. The hitting from both of them was 
and I am convinced after all of 3 games that if they keep this up I will be dead by the end of the night. 
Hewitt wants the ace but Marat challenging for the second time. he was right the first time. Wrong this time. 
and he's getting sloppy. More muttering. GOD DAMN IT MARAT MIKHAILOVICH! WTF ARE YOU DOING? translation: Marat just got broke and is 3-1 down with Lleyton serving. 
Sixpack guard 
