All Good Things Come To An End - US OPEN 09

[SAFINNO1]

Just as Marat loses the 2nd Set read this:

Q. This may be Marat Safin's last Grand Slam. What will you remember about his career and what will we miss when he's not playing anymore?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: A lot of things. I mean, he's a unique guy. We gonna miss a lot of his talent, first of all. He's a fantastic player. I mean, with the way he was playing for couple of years that he was No. 1 and winning two, three Grand Slams, playing some of the best tennis that ever could play. He was all around player. He had this strong personality. He was fearless.
And then we going to miss a lot of racquet throwing, screaming. I think the fans love him for that as well. But he's a fun guy. I talked to him. He said he wants to go mountain climbing I think somewhere in Argentina in January or something like that. So I might join him for a little preparation. No, I'm joking (smiling).

Q. You are very loose. Did you take any of his example when you started coming on and becoming a top player?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Look, he was one of my role models I think because we are still working with the same agent. He has same agent as I do, so we got to practice quite often, young ages when I was coming up. He helped me a lot.
For me, I remember the first time I hit with him, one of the first time I hit with him. I was warming him up for his match in Bangkok. It was like four years ago. It was only a 20 minute warmup. I had to change three shirts because I was so nervous. When you get to play with some of the idols, obviously you get nervous.

Q. His sister was in here and she said he's given her advice, but sometimes it's hard to understand what he says.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it's hard.

Q. Has he ever given you a great piece of advice or anything on how to handle the stress?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yes, but not regarding tennis.

Q. What was it regarding?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: That's all I'm gonna say (smiling).

Q. This would be the most interesting part of the interview.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I know. If these cameras are off, you guys aren't writing, then maybe (smiling).

[Anne]

Thanks guys..

typical match, once again. Would be said and typical to end it this way.

[Annie]

Jurgen Meltzer def Marat Safin 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4

[SAFINNO1]

Seems the Grand Slam run is over
Very sad to see it happen but we knew it was coming! Wish the crowd had shown more passion to Marat.

Im sure his press conference will prove very philosophical!

[Anne]

Nothing we didn't see coming but sad to end things this way. Nevertheless, I have to say that they both played a good match! Just typical Marat stuff really and def no luck today.

Was great fun watching you play at GS, Marat.

[flender]

wish it didn't end this way....

[SAFINNO1]

Safin over the years at Flushing Meadows
99

00

Champ

01

06

07

08

Today

[SAFINNO1]

[maryb]

Well, there are some things in life you can't change ... and this is one of them. It was not a bad match.

Perversely, I am happy for my Big Pixie. He's getting closer to what he no doubt hankered for a year ago ... but kept true to his promise that he would leave the tour when he hit 30. He now doesn't have to live with the 'what ifs ...' if he had gone last year, and that's a blessing for him. ;D

I WAS very sad when that last ball was struck tonight, but that tear on my wee cheek changed to one of gratitude. My Big Pixie, you made tennis fun for me again. I thank you for the joy, the misery, the anger (tsssk ... let's not go there ...) over the years ... and bringing me to this board and having so much fun with so many of your fans ... but most of all, I thank you for being you. When that bloody racquet whacked off the court, I may have pontificated that you were an absolute eejit/muppet (dependant on my mood/hormonal cycle) for doing it ... but I have to admit, it made me laugh inside as much as it made me wince on the outside. Wouldn't have had you any other way ... eejit. ;D

I wish you so much happiness in your life outside tennis. And hopefully someone to make you complete too. I did offer to buy you a chicken for companionship in your retirement, but Aunty Denise said you were a 'surf man' ... being Scottish, I don't understand that. Waves are something we try to avoid. Would it be possible for you take the chicken to Miami with you? Not only would it be a talking point, it would provide such wonderful photos ... ;D Failing that, chickens can cope very well with high altitude. I'd even buy it its own sherpa. Let me know if a Rhode Island Red would be of interest. ;D

Missing you already, Big Yin!

FG

PS You could have at least taken on board some of my coaching tips. You muppet. ;D

[adout]

So sad that it is over.. We will miss you in the USA Marat.

[SAFINNO1]

US Open 2009: Marat Safin's grand slam career comes to an end
What a long, strange trip it has been for Marat Safin, the crown prince of tennis who became the court jester

Former world No 1 Safin saw his Grand Slam career end on Wednesday with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 first-round defeat to Austrian Jurgen Melzer at the US Open, the same event where the 29-year-old Russian achieved his greatest triumph.

Safin's often-volatile 12-year career peaked with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 over Pete Sampras in the 2000 US Open final, taking his first Grand Slam crown two months before ascending to the top of the rankings throne.

Now he's ready to walk away from tennis at year's end, saying since the start of the year that he is ready for new challenges.

"I want to change and do something else. I'm ready for that. It has been a nice trip. It's enough," Safin said.

"There has been a lot of pressure throughout the years, a lot of tough moments. I need to just cool down. I need to get out of my brain and start from a new page."

Safin played his first Slam at the 1998 French Open and won his first ATP title at Boston in 1999. He added the Australian Open, the last of 15 career crowns, to his haul in 2005 after having lost the 2002 and 2004 Aussie finals.

But whether it was smashing more than 700 rackets or the dreams of rivals, Safin was always entertaining, mercurial at times, witty, grumpy and typically a formidable big server who quit the game as he played it, on his own terms.

"I think I've managed to do pretty well," Safin said. "Many things happened in my career. The life was pretty intense, so I can't complain. There were a lot of changes, a lot of difficult situations, a lot of fun situations."

Safin began playing tennis at age six with his father Misha, who directed a Moscow racket club. His mother Rausa coached him until age 13 and also helped guide his sister Dinara, now the women's world number one.

"Sometimes it's not easy to understand my brother," Safina admits.
But oh how fans would try. People Magazine named him one of 2000's "Most Intriguing People" in a year when he won seven titles.

Others gave him an underachiever label compared to Andre Agassi, Roger Federer or Sampras - prodding the lionheart to roar in response.

"In the history of tennis, every single player is an underachiever," Safin said. "Agassi should have been winning 15 Grand Slams. Sampras should have been winning 20 Grand Slams. Federer should be winning 25 already.

"Everybody could do better. I should probably have won a couple of more, but I'm pretty satisfied with what I did."

Others, like compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, can only wonder what might have happened had Federer-like work ethic been matched with Safin's talent.

"It's an expression we say in Russian - what would happen if?" Kuznetsova said. "But 'if' didn't happen."

Injuries hampered Safin's hopes at times. Torn left wrist ligaments and a sore right shoulder ruined his 2003 season. A left knee injury in late 2005 kept him from defending his Aussie Open title.

"I was a little bit unlucky with my injuries. That's the only thing that I regret," he said. "I made a couple of great comebacks but eventually the knee injury was really tough to come back from. It took quite a long time to play without any pain."

Safin's year-long goodbye tour has been bittersweet. He reached the third round at the Australian Open, the second round at the French Open and lost his opener at Wimbledon, grass he often said would be better used as cattle feed.

"I don't like this bye-bye part. It's just a sad story," Safin said. "I prefer to leave quietly. I've been already too many years."

[Mrs. Fabregas]

Thanks, Ily, for the wonderful trip through memory lane with the US open piccies of Marat troughout all those wonderful (and some not so wonderful ) years of the guy in the US GS!

It's indeed a pity this was his last performance on a GS ever, i even had to swallow a few tears back during the last game ... we all knew it was going to happen, but still.... it hurts !

Thought the first set was so wonderful, he even got our tv commentator (who are like the worst appreciators of Mr. Safin *GRRRR*) getting really hyped up and the oooooh's and aaaaaah's and the OMG's were nearly in every word they said .... that btw changed really fast after the 1st set, so i put off the sound ... sometimes that's so much better

I might even jinxed the guy with thinking about a del pony 2nd round .... what if .... etc .... thinking back to Wimbledon 2008 at the Djoko match etc, but you know ... it just wasn't meant to be and after that wonderful 1st set, it really showed that it's a very very good thing this is his last season/ last GS etc etc ....

[masha]

At first I was angry and I wanted to start my post by saying that this must be going out with a bang Safin style!

But after the last point was played, there was really only one thought in my mind:

Dear Marat, you are grand and will forever be (despite whatever, yourself included)...it's the tennis that tonight, all of a sudden got smaller! (because I guess we all agree that tonight has really been the end)

God bless you!

[Barbarella]

I've not logged in here properly for a long time but have been watching often as a 'guest' - I don't have anything really philosophical, witty or beautiful to say as in previous posts on this thread - other than to say I watched today's match with a mixture of optimism, anticipation, frustration ... and then finally a sense of relief.
The journey is almost over now and I think we have all been priviledged observers of the rollercoaster ...
Thank you Marat, our fabulous, beautiful boy, and good luck and god bless for whatever adventures await you in your new life.
It's been a blast!
XXX

[jenhatter06]

Bummer ... ESPN just showed some clips from his presser - he got very passionate when defending Dinara's ranking.


Post-match press conference:
J. MELZER/M. Safin
1 6, 6 4, 6 3, 6 4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Bit embarrassing, because we don't know how is your mood. Would you say it could have been the last one? Is it the last one?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

Q. What is your feeling right now for both situations, the loss and the last Slam?
MARAT SAFIN: It's okay. It's the end. So just it's the last one. Could have been better ending, but still okay. I'm looking forward to afterwards my career, so I have no regrets.
And I don't care about losses anymore.

Q. How do you feel about...
MARAT SAFIN: I have no worries about it at all.

Q. I'm just asking.
MARAT SAFIN: I'm just answering.

Q. Your emotion, do you feel on the court?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I have been doing for a long time, and I've been kind of struggling for some time. So for me, it's just new stage in my life. Basically I'm taking I'm retiring, so my head is already in afterwards tennis rather than here.

Q. You're going to play some more tournaments in your career?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I'm still five tournaments to go, so I will play a few.

Q. How do you feel about that huge public support?
MARAT SAFIN: It's always nice. Throughout my career just so many fans that have been following me, and they been loyal to me. It's have I very nice feeling. Even today, a lot of people came and they cheered me on.

Q. If you had to go back and change one thing in your career, aside from not getting injured...
MARAT SAFIN: Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Q. You'd do it the same way?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. What's been your favorite site on the tour and your least favorite?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, they just all different. I cannot pick one for anything. Just some good moments; some bad moments. I cannot really pick one. I don't want to.

Q. Best spaghetti on the tour?
MARAT SAFIN: Definitely not here. No, I think it's all the respect to Italians, I'd go with Italy. They have done very good thing. (LOL ;D)

Q. When did you decide that you were going to retire? Was it something you thought about? Went back and forth on? Or you just sort of one day said, You know, what, this year is it. I'm done.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, last year I was just I thought that was it, but then my manager called me, so he gave me a great offer to play for another year, so I gave it a shot. But now I have just decided it is my last one.

So I was all ready since, basically since November last year. It's gonna be my last one. There is the fantasy that I gonna return back.

So I want to stick to it. I'm happy what I'm doing. I'm okay with it. I'm okay with the decision.

Q. What is so boring for you now that you don't want to play tennis anymore? About tennis, I mean. You did many things. You played so many years. But still, some people, Agassi played until 36; Connors 39. So they were probably different.
MARAT SAFIN: Probably not. They are they're just different.

Q. They're different. So what is different? Why is it boring for you to keep playing? I mean, you say, I want to change. I want to go and live another life.
MARAT SAFIN: Why it has to do with being boring? Boring is not the right word. I think it's just enough. I achieve what I want to achieve and I want to continue with doing something else.
Has nothing to do with it being boring or not. Just I want to decide I decided I want to do something else, which is, I think, fair enough.

Q. What are you going to do?
MARAT SAFIN: I will see. But definitely I want to get out a little bit of tennis scene and try something completely different. I have plenty of time to think about it.

I just felt like it's it's been a long ride, so I need some time off, you know. It's enough. It was a great 12 years of my career. I don't think I played five years and I retired. I've been around for a long time.

Q. Djokovic said yesterday you told him you were going to go and climb a mountain South America; is that right?
MARAT SAFIN: Djokovic has the breaking news, huh? (Laughter) I think he should stick to his tennis and keep his mind into tennis instead of giving up my private life. (laughter.)

Q. Stefan Edberg, when he retired, he announces it a year before he did. He had a farewell tour.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, and he was getting tired of doing it every week.

Q. Very tired.
MARAT SAFIN: Bye bye, bye bye, and bye bye again.

Q. How do you feel now? You wish you hadn't said it beforehand?
MARAT SAFIN: No. No, thanks. I don't want to be in his shoes for sure.

Q. Do you wish you would have waited till the very end to say you were going to retire?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, kind of, yeah. It's too many questions about what I'm going to do, why I'm retiring, and this and that. So I answer the same question, I don't know, a thousand times.

Just go on Google and you have the same answer. Somebody want to hear it one more time. But it's okay. Few tournaments to go, so I can manage.

Q. I'm sure you will not miss some of the questions. What will you miss most from the tennis?
MARAT SAFIN: Good question.

I think I need to get away from tennis for some time to realize what I will miss, what I'm missing about it. Right now, just difficult to decide what exactly I will miss. Because it's great traveling. It's pretty great life.

But also it's in one way. In second way, in a different way, you have to practice. You have to go to the courts. You have to, like for example, here first few days it's like a zoo. It's like a million people running around, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, grandmothers, so many people. That's pretty much annoying.
But at the same time you know you're going to New York and it's beautiful town. You're staying in good hotels. The people, they treat you well. You get the car service, which I think is great. You go to the great restaurants.

You can spend don't have to think how much I can spend on my dinner. So it gives you a good life. You have to pay for it being here on the court and stress out. 4 All in, I don't know, third set, the tiebreak, but you have to work your way through.
I will be able to give you a right answer in a year or so.

Q. So you once said that if it weren't for tennis you'd be picking up bottles in a park in Moscow.
MARAT SAFIN: One of the options, yes.

Q. So overall, it's been worth it? All the travel that you have?
MARAT SAFIN: Of course, definitely. Yeah, it gives you freedom. I mean, I worked my way. There wasn't a rich father or rich family that paid for everything that I have right now, so I worked my way. I'm really proud of myself that I really made it, and I made it myself and I'm supporting my family. I help my sister, and everything I achieve is thanks basically to the occasion, to the sport.

Q. Great achievement?
MARAT SAFIN: So I think...

Q. Will you stay here to watch your sister's matches, and how do you feel about how she struggled in her match?
MARAT SAFIN: I really love my sister, but I think she can manage without me. I think she has quite a few people to help her out.

Q. Yesterday she was asked though if you had given her any advice about the difficulty of being No. 1. She said, Sometimes I don't understand what my brother says. So could you tell us what the advice was? What advice would you give her?
MARAT SAFIN: I wasn't there for a long time, so I cannot give her any advice at all.

So I think she just needs to enjoy it while it lasts. Just enjoy it. I think it's difficult to be No. 1. There's too much attention, too much expectation from other people. You want it or not, you gonna listen one way or another.

If you read newspapers, if you watch TV, everybody is talking about you basically. That sometimes is not easy to some people they have sometimes people, they can be harsh on you. You need to really stay cold and do your thing and try not to pay attention to that and enjoy it.

So it's pretty difficult, especially for women.

Q. Your match against Pete in the final here, where does that match fit into your career, do you think? How do you view it now that you look back on it?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, just this match was just a miracle for me. I didn't expect anything from this year, because I started 25; i dropped to 45; and then like in three months I was No. 1 in the world. I beat here Sampras, and I really didn't believe I could get anywhere closer to the final of a Grand Slam.

And then after beating Sampras, I never really understood what happened, some time to have a chance to think how big this thing really was.

It was difficult, because I was also 20 years old. I wasn't ready for this, so it's really difficult to understand it. I don't know if you understand me, but it's really you're not ready for this. I wasn't prepared.

Q. So Marat, was the victory in Australia in 2005 more satisfying?
MARAT SAFIN: It was more satisfying, I guess. It was very important for me to win the second one. I was two times in the finals and couldn't make it. I was very close to semifinals in French Open that I should have won. Well, just second one was really, really important for me. Thanks God I achieved it and everything went smooth.

Q. Do you think you have changed a lot as a person all these years?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I don't know. Maybe a little bit more experience for sure. Traveled so much, so much traveling, so I guess you learn something. Yeah. Experience.

Q. If the young Marat Safin could see Marat Safin now, what do you think he would say? What would be his thoughts on you as a person and a player now?
MARAT SAFIN: No way. No way this is going to happen to me, and for sure not. I would never think in a thousand years that I will be anywhere closer to even to top 100. It was a mission impossible basically.

Just give it a shot, try your best, and just to find your way in life. Whatever happens, happens. I was about to go to the college in the States, so...

Q. So how did the miracle happen?
MARAT SAFIN: It happened, so miracles really happens. I won the lottery. Basically I picked the lottery I would say because of the way things, they fit together. It's amazing. It's really amazing. I really can't describe it. It has no logic, it has no it's just everything fit perfectly together, and here I am.

I'm really pleased the way the life treat me, and the same is pretty it was nice treatment. Tennis was really very nice to me.

Q. Is there any way that the second half of your life could be as interesting as the first?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm sure. I hope. (laughter.)

I'm pretty sure the things are going so smooth like they went right now, so I'm looking forward. You got to be positive about it, so I think good times are still to come.

Q. You had many hilarious press conferences in the past in those 12 years or 10 years. Is there...
MARAT SAFIN: Am I so old? ;D

Q. Is there anything that you regret you said years and years ago, one place or another, that today you would never say it again or not?
MARAT SAFIN: No, nothing. I don't regret anything at all. Things that happened to me throughout the life, whatever I said, whatever I did, it took me to where I am right now. So I think it was pretty nice ride. I didn't really make any huge mistakes.
People are really nice, nice to me. I think like a lot of people sitting here, they still, I don't know, wonder what I'm going to do when I pass by to the next life. I think I've done good things, I think. I've been sometimes I was a little bit harsh on somebody, but I think it's just throughout the years I've been nice to everybody.

And whatever I said, whatever I did, I think was it was a good ride anyway. I don't regret anything at all.

Q. Is this an exciting time in your life, knowing that you're still young and you have your whole future ahead of you...
MARAT SAFIN: This I think is the perfect timing, because I'm still young. I don't have a family. I'm ready to make a change. Why not? I think it's the right time, perfect time, perfect timing. 30 years old, still young. 35, 33, it's already you need to think about some things, something different. A little bit late.
Probably it's a little bit late to do something extra. So basically put everything on cruise control and you just cruise. I'm ambitious. I want to achieve some things. I'm a different than another person who want to lay back and do nothing for rest of the life and talk nonsense on ESPN, talk about my match against Sampras. I will not do that.

I want to achieve something else.

Q. How difficult was to be No. 1? You were young. And then you talk about your sister; she's No. 1. You told us also about the papers writing about your private life. And also you remember Safinettes, the girls?
MARAT SAFIN: Still remember?

Q. So for your sister, it is not the same problem. At least she doesn't have all these boyfriends and pictures.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, everybody is hard on her why she's No. 1. You have this contest issue, is she a real No. 1 or not? You open the page, she made eight double faults, 43 unforced errors. She struggled, almost lost to 18 years old.

Who cares? I mean, she's No. 1 in the world. I have to protect my sister. The poor girl, she's trying her best. She's doing really well. She gets the attention, but not the kind of attention that a person deserves, especially when you're No. 1 in the world.
Everybody is giving her hard time about, Are you really No. 1 in the world? Yes, yes, she's really No. 1 in the world. Go check on the ranking. She didn't do the ranking.

Apparently there is some guy who made the ranking. On this ranking, she's No. 1 in the world. Serena, she didn't say even though she won two Grand Slams this year, she's No. 2. Sorry, but that's the way. Deal with that. ;D

I'm just personally, I'm really like, I have to protect her. I feel like she deserve a little bit more than what she's getting right now. I think she's playing you can't imagine how crazy she is about sport. I don't think there is one person in the world who is more professional than her.

Everybody is like hitting on her and giving her a hard time about this, how many, what happened to this serve, what happened this, what happened with that? Leave her alone. Give her a little bit less questions. So it's just all to you guys. Make her happy. That's it.

Q. Luckily she doesn't have all those boyfriends as you had girlfriends.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. Yes, she's opposite of me.