Match Report Live from DC
Ok...where to start? I've just read a bit of what people have posted so far and it reminds me why this is the best safin fans site. Everyone here really loves and supports him and understands that they have to be patient with him, even at the best of times.
I saw Marat at Roland Garros against Gonzales and again today in Washington, (how crappy that both times i went to see him he lost :
but I can't tell you how much improvement there has been.
I said that at the time it could take him up to a year to really get back to his best. It may not take that long but it is still a long term process.
He's hitting the ball really clean at the moment and most of the unforced errors he made were not the silly ones. He went for shots (some time too much) and he missed some. It happens.
But as with any Marat match, there was some gorgeous shotmaking and this one backhand down the line that was sheer perfection.
To be fair, it was hot as hell out there and respect to both players for getting through that. Marat stayed fairly calm all things considered (he is Marat after all) and never really threw in the towel.
We all know what Marat is like when he's tanking a match and this was SOOO NOT that. He did what he could, fought hard. The only thing is that his style of play against a guy like Clement that makes very few errors is always gonna leave him open to defeats like today.
Again I can't say enough: Marat played well today and should leave this tournament feeling pretty good in his tennis.
If I had to reproach him with something it would be that at times he got a bit ahead of himself going for shots or aces at the wrong time. But that's his game and no one is ever gonna talk him out of it.
The other thing that is positive from today is that the knee injury is totally behind him. I know he's said it already but with Marat you can never really tell and I literally have not seen him play since I was at the French. Compared to Roland Garros though, the hesistation is gone. When he feels like it he has no problem committing 100% to chasing down shots. Hard courts are tougher on the body but Marat seemed totally as ease.
There is not too much else to say from a tennis point of view. For the rest, he's as gorgeous as ever, his hair is starting to curl at the edges again and to be honest I didn't sense too much tension in him as if deep down in his soul, he's just peaceful.
And of course it wouldn't have been a Safin match, if he hadn't yelled at the ref, talked to himself in Russian, thrown his racket and hit a ball out of the park.
In fact there were a couple of his serves that went wide and bounced high and nearly hit me in the face...lol
and he came literally like two feet, not even that, away from me. I would have taken a picture except i didn't wanna bother him. I'm sure that sounds crazy but i mean if I were him I wouldn't want some one pointing a camera at me from close range when I'm trying to concentrate. *shrugs* that's just me.
I've rambled enough so all I am gonna say now is that as always it was great to see Marat, even though he lost, and I am convinced that he's not too far away from his best. I truly believe that.
for Marat. You did good today and I'm proud of how you played this week. ;D
He lost from Clemont 7/6 7/6! 
Sixpack guard 
Step by step... he`s coming back ;D
UDACHI MARAT!!!
but I can't tell you how much improvement there has been. 
