Post by Annie on Jun 28, 2005 19:52:18 GMT 3
Tennis Masters Paris 2002 (Bercy)
Report By Ruth
Report for Wednesday 30th October
OK, by now you'll know HE WON!! But before we start our 'Shanghai Victory dance' let's see what led up to it, eh?
First of all, I forgot to mention that Volkov isn't here because he's ill and has lost his voice, that's why Amit's acting as stand in coach. If you saw the match, you may have seen Matt and a certain 'mystery blonde' that goes by the name of Dendy in Marat's box!! How lucky are they?
You may also have seen a large flag of the Russian persuasion being flailed around wildly....Yep, that was me and the Veester with our 15 seconds of fame!!!!
Want to know who else was in his box??? Oh alright then... Gerard and his sister (?), Anatoly and Amit. Kafelnikov also came to see Marat play after he lost his doubles match; which, quite frankly, serves him right, as he hit both me and Dendy on the head with a wonky shot during said match!! The Italian guy, Roberto was also in Marat's box, but he left after about 10mins. (we are still non the wiser as to who this Roberto is or what he does, or his connection to Marat, but none of the fans we have spoken with have a good word for him... the general consensus is Marat could do without him)
And finally, there were no girls in Marat's box, or at the hotel...he hasn't even chatted up the girls on the transport desk!!! And we've seen Marat return to the hotel every night, and he's always with his beloved Amit and Anatoly (I have nicknamed Anatoly 'Munchkin Man' and I've decided to kidnap him and put him on my bedroom shelf in a jam jar, because I just adore him!! Such a cutie pie!!)
Right then, down to the match. The crowd was undeniably on Marat's side against a very tired looking Nalbandian. The poor guy had played a singles match the previous day and then after returning to rest at the hotel, had then gone back to the stadium at around 10pm for his doubles match, which he lost. But Marat was leaving nothing to chance. There was no racket throwing or tantrums, no looking pathetically into his box for support: the Marat that walked onto Centre Court was purpose-driven and focussed. He showed a stunning display of maturity: even the few careless mistakes he made didn't cause him to sigh dramatically or argue pointlessly; he simply brushed them aside and carried on playing incredible tennis. He was showing the independence and concentration that has been noticeably lacking and debated over for so long. His exquisite backhands down the line revealed the true brilliance of Marat's tennis that have lain dormant for so long beneath a layer of exhaustion, frustration and disappointment. It was a match we Marat fans have long waited and hoped for. Vee, myself and Dendy truly believe that if Marat carries on playing at this level, he could once again win here.
During the match, Amit was clapping and banging the side of the barrier to aid Marat. Matt asked him why he did this since Marat couldn't hear him. Amit replied that Marat could always pick out his applause no matter how loud the crowd. Munchkin just clapped his fist, and muttered to himself excitedly in Russian. There were a few other Russian flags...one girl sitting near us had made her own Russian flag aswell as several banners and slogan t-shirts which were frequently shown on camera. After his victory, Marat made a Davis Cup plea for some fans to support Russia next month which was met with whistling and laughter!! He then played a guy who had caught the tennis ball thrown into the crowd by the previous Centre Court winner. After 2 nice serves to him, Marat then decided to power up and deliver the unsuspecting fan with a blistering serve. The only problem was, he hit it straight into the net!! He put his head into his hands and died of shame while the crowd erupted into laughter!! A girl in one of the corporate boxes had made a cardboard placard with 'I LOVE YOU MARAT' on it. After the match, Marat gave her a peck on the cheek, as requested, but promptly forgot to sign anything for her, and despite her begging he just left the court!! I think he just didn't realise. He was too busy enjoying the glorious relief of having qualified for Shanghai and the smiles during his on court interview said it all. He can finally relax, with critics silenced and fans celebrating. Enjoy your week Marat! Let the victory dance commence!
Report for Thursday 31st October
OK, some bad news: Amit mentioned this morning he wasn't feeling too well. Well, upon returning to the hotel, it turns out he's hurt his back quite badly and is almost bedridden (apparently) so it's unlikely he will attend Marat's match tonight, and he may return home sooner than planned. We're not sure if Gerard's still here, because he's disappeared, however, he may stick around now that Amit seems to be out of action.
Anyhoo... this morning me and Vee got our 'flag-of-fame-fix' during Kafelnikov's match against Hewitt. Did you see me on the telly, mum? Unfortunately, we spent most of the match playing musical chairs, as we had moved onto the front row, since it was empty, but the rightful owners slowly drifted in, so we and the flag had to move further and further along the row, causing Zhenya to do more than one double take, as if to say 'where are they now???' Unfortunately, despite his brave attempts in the beginning of the second set, and Hewitt's carelessness, Kafelnikov still lost. If it hadn't come down to a tie break, he may have had a chance, but it wasn't to be.
Since I'm writing this in the lobby of the Sofitel (where me Dendy, Vee and occasionally Matt have happily 'player-watched' since our arrival), waiting for Marat's match (and a possible appearance in the flesh) I'll fill you in on some of the other matches I've seen today.
First up, is Haas-Federer, the winner being Federer; not much to say as we only caught the end, but both seemed strong. Next was Kafel, so onto an outstanding Srichaphan, who has thundered through his matches, his latest victim being a very aggressive Canas. Paradorn has a huge fan base here, and I have a crazy feeling it may be a Srichaphan-Safin final, simply because both players are showing a finesse and quality early on, that has not been apparent in all players. But we also have the small problem of Agassi and Hewitt still being in the draw...
Then there was Andy Roddick and Andrei Pavel...when Vee and I left, we honestly thought A-Rod would be out on his ear, but we later found out he'd battled back and won. Maybe a certain Mandy Moore brought him luck. (just ask Matt who sat next to her for the match!!)
Marat himself has been in bed for most of the day, following a late night last night. Despite it being the players party, Marat chose to have dinner with one of his Russian (male) friends instead and he, Amit and Munchkinsky 'wobbled' into the lobby looking a little 'inebriated'. Seems like they too had been celebrating the guaranteed Shanghai appearance. Amit was going to come over and talk to us, but decided he couldn't negotiate the labyrinth of chairs, and instead, man-handled Marat into bed. (Marat never took his eyes off his mobile, which he always looks at like he doesn't know how to use) Today as we left for the stadium at around 12:30am, Amit was still trying to rouse his lordship for practise.
End of report for Thursday 31st October
Ah... another match under his belt, another smile on our faces. Matt and Dendy were once again in Marat's box, and me and Vee were prominently positioned with our lucky flag. It seemed almost too good to be true when Marat looked up at us and gave us a quick smile of recognition during his warm up! Amit had recovered enough to join Marat at his match along with my beloved Munchkin and Gerard. If you saw the match on TV, you may have seen Julie, so I'll deal with this first. Trust me, it's not as bad as it seems!
She arrived late, and only had tickets for a corporate box: she couldn't get into the players box. After 10 mins, she then left for about 20mins. Then she returned, newspaper in hand, which she promptly read during the match, because, as we found out, she doesn't understand tennis. Vee and I kept close tabs on Marat to see if he would notice her (this seemed to be her sole intention) and it wasn't until Marat had won, and was walking off court, that Julie, who was the last person standing in the boxes, finally caught his eye. Marat gave a subtle roll of his eyes and walked out. Dendy remarked that only Gerard acknowledged her, I'm not sure if Amit or Anatoly even saw her. Back at the hotel, we settled in for a good 1-2 hour wait for Marat's return with Julie. However, much to our surprise, he was back within about 20-30mins, sans Julie, and showing off is new mobile to Canas. (it's the SamsungT300 that can send photos: he doesn't know how to use it, but was just making people look at his latest gadget...boys will be boys!) To top off an almost perfect day, Marat came over to our table, waited for us to stop talking, then gave us the most beautiful smile, with a 'Thank You' and a thumbs up, he then smiled at each of us in turn and went up to bed. AH Marat!! All we could do was smile back: Vee and I practically floated back to our hotel!! And no, Julie did not arrive later at the Hotel, which makes us wonder whether she had actually been invited or had just decided to get tickets to see Marat. (and I mean 'SEE' not watch his tennis) Wonder why I'm being a tad bitchy? Well, she stood up at one point and turned around to assess the crowd. On seeing us with our flag, (we were sitting right behind her) she gave us a pretty dirty look and sat back down again. Very mature. She also committed a cardinal fashion sin by wearing a black bra under a thin white top. SHOCK HORROR!!! I have already notified the Fashion Police. Ok, that's Julie out of the way (literally, heheheh) so lets get down to business!!
Schalken was going to be a trickier opponent, since he didn't have the fatigue of Nalbandian and has a more troublesome game. But our Marat was up to the challenge, although, it has to be said, the opening set was a bit of a rollercoaster for the old nerves. Marat didn't look as immediately comfortable as he had done the previous day, and he did have a few dramatic sighs and head-rolling moments. After the first set, however, we got the feeling the score would be repeated in Marat's favour. Marat had four break points in total during the match, the first being in the seventh game of the first set. Marat actually managed to break Sjeng to lead 6-5 and then served out the set. The first game of the second set was fairly long, with Marat almost breaking him again, so Schalken retaliated and nearly broke his serve!! They then settled into a fairly even match, each winning their own serve, until 5-5 when Marat decided to drive ahead. Once again, Marat broke him for 6-5 and served out the match with a beautiful ace. Bravo Marat! Gerard commented on Marat's sudden use of volleys, which came out of the blue but worked wonders. All tell-tale signs of Marat's re-emerging confidence both with his tennis ability and with himself. (as I write, Marat has just entered the lobby, and is once again showing off his mobile to anyone who will listen) Marat has finally (and hopefully permanently) found his elusive confidence and we are all so proud! Roll on Escude!
Report for Friday 1st November
For a few heart stopping moments we thought we'd be packing our bags tonight! But fortunately, Marat's maturity pulled him (and us) through to the semi's. The match was always going to be tough, just because of the large French crowd, who saw this as a sign of things to come during Davis Cup. The band that had chanted and sang their way through Grosjean's near miss yesterday were back en force, but the crowd wasn't as loud as I'd expected, and Marat had a few fans in the audience apart from ourselves. The worst part was that our tickets for today were really bad... All the way at the back. Our only hope was to see if any seats were free on the front row, and do our cuckoo trick of sitting in them, and hoping the rightful owners don't appear. But this method is always tricky (and slightly embarrassing I imagine) when you've got a Russian flag taped to the barrier. But by the grace of God, two seats right at the front of our stand were unoccupied and no-one came to claim them, so, although we were at the other end of the court, we could still support Marat flag-stylee. Dendy told us that Anatoly and Amit were looking for us in our usual places, but I don't think they could see us. However, Marat noticed us and gave us a look of 'oh you ARE here... good, I could do with the support, but stop moving around!' Apparently, Marat can be quite superstitious when it comes to his matches, and he may have been a bit annoyed that his fans had all got different seats (some other Russian flags had also moved/disappeared) He also looked more tired, which isn't surprising. Amit and Anatoly arrived after Gerard, and as a result, they had to get someone to move people out of their seats so they could sit down! Poor Amit looked like he was in pain with his back, as he kept doing mini stretching exercises to ease it, and when he came into the restaurant just now, he was walking a bit funny.
Escude had a nervous start, and kept hitting various serves into the net, which seemed to give Marat a slight edge. As we had hoped, the pressure of the French crowd had got to Escude, and Marat felt he had nothing to lose. Perfect winning conditions. Except in the second set, the reverse happened, and Escude began feeding off the crowd, while Marat began to double fault. At one point, Marat had matchpoint, but didn't quite pull it off, so it went to a third set, which we were quite grateful for, as no-one is quite sure how Marat could handle a tie-break yet. But fortunately it didn't come to that. He seemed to just brush off the second set loss, and start afresh with the third set. This is a definite sign of Marat's self-assurance and his relaxed attitude to playing. (and I mean relaxed in the best possible sense.) The third set was simply claimed as a fait accompli by a strong, competent Marat and we were over the moon!! Despite a largely anti-Marat crowd and a fired up Escude, Marat steamrollered his way to victory, and the little look of appreciation he gave us while waiting to shake the umpires hand was the icing on the cake!
Back at the hotel, he arrived about an hour later with Anatoly and Amit, looking a little jaded and ready for bed, despite it only being 8.20pm. Even so, he gave us a tiny smile just as he left the lobby, and Amit herded him upstairs; Munchkin was on the phone.
One last thing: Julie came again... she was only an hour and a half late (!!) and so only saw the last 20-30mins. Unfortunately for her, her tickets must have been even worse than the day before, because she was stuck at the back of a corporate box behind the umpires chair. At least she clapped once or twice (and we mean once or twice!). Nevermind... tomorrow it's Marat V Carlos Moya, who we watched despatch Agassi just before Marat's match and judging by Moya's performance, it will be Marat's toughest match yet. But from what we've seen today, victory for Marat (and a Bercy title) are not out of reach.
Aftermath of Friday 1st November
Just thought I'd fill you in on a few things that happened back at the hotel after Marat's Escude Victory. As I mentioned before, Marat gave us a tired smile when he arrived back at the Hotel and went straight to bed. Around 10:00pm Anatoly came down all dressed up in a leather jacket, but all alone. So he sat on a chair in the lobby and waited for about 15 -20 mins. To pass the time he watched three mad fans chatter and laugh their way through 3 Salade Du Chef's and a couple of diet cokes. After that, we were up and down looking at the score of the Scrichaphan/Roddick match, which meant squeezing passed Munchkin to see the TV. Finally, Marat came down. Being in a funny mood, he crept up slowly behind Anatoly, like a little boy anticipating the reaction of his prank. Just as he got to Anatoly's chair, he pounced on his shoulders. Well, they had to practically scrape poor Munchkin off the ceiling, while Marat giggled like a naughty schoolboy, proud that he'd pulled off the surprise and got a laugh out of it as well. Audience reaction was obviously as important as giving Anatoly a cardiac arrest. Amit then sauntered into the lobby with a lady, who Dendy has the feeling is a Russian journalist they are friends with, and was also at Liverpool. (but don't quote her on that!) Anyway, the four of them decided to leave to eat at around 10:30pm. Vee, myself and Denise were sitting behind a pillar, so Marat poked his head through the gap to give us another dazzling smile. Amit, however, being the drama queen he is, blew a kiss to us from over his shoulder!
And now onto the most embarrassing thing that's happened so far. After we'd finished eating, we decided to go for a stroll around Paris. Well, we'd been walking for about 10mins, messing around, when Dendy said ' Don't you just hate it when you're eating in a restaurant and people are looking in' at which point we did just that and saw Marat in a Japanese restaurant ,shovelling food into his mouth like a famine was imminent. Anatoly was quietly gobbling too, while Amit was slouched all over a rather bored looking journalist. Well, the three of us just walked as fast as we could, faces glowing with shame, desperately hoping they hadn't noticed us. I know the lady saw us, but Marat was so involved in his food, he couldn't see past the plate he was scooping to his huge hungry mouth. Amit may have seen us, and I'm not sure about Munchkinsky. However, a few cryptic comments were made this morning, which we may query later after the match, to reassure them it was complete coincidence and we are not stalking them around Gay Paris! About 45mins later, after walking as far as possible in the opposite direction and getting a little disorientated into the bargain, we found ourselves walking past the same restaurant, but it was now closed, so it doesn't look like they'd been there for long. Instead, they'd gone straight back to the hotel. Marat had probably bankrupted them. And no, the journalist was not here this morning, and she looked too old for Marat, so no silly hysterics please!
This morning (Saturday), we found the order of play had changed because Srichaphan had played so late last night, so Marat was supposed to be second on court. However, the doubles match that was meant to be played first, has been cancelled, so we're back at the Sofitel waiting patiently until 3pm for Marat's match.
This morning, a very relaxed Marat and Amit appeared, and had some fun teasing and laughing with Dendy. Marat then slumped lazily into a lobby chair, while Amit chatted to him. Dendy and I were talking at out table, when out of the blue, a guy came over and asked us if that was Carlos Moya in the chair. We replied, no, that's Marat Safin. He then pointed to a dark haired gentleman, who was standing next to Marat, and asked if THAT was Carlos Moya. Again we said no, and I turned in time to see a shocked Marat peering around the corner at us as if to say 'Please don't abandon me for Moya! You're MY fans!' I then decided to be brave and go to the toilet, which means walking solo right past Marat and Amit. It was all going swimmingly. Dendy was still talking to me about her lost umbrella, and I replied as I walked away, which garnered a few looks from Marat and Amit (who were possibly trying to work out if we WERE going to betray Marat at the last minute, and umbrella was some kind of code word) But just as I got parallel with the duo, there was a sudden silence from them, and four large eyes followed me all the way to the ladies. And all I could think was 'Please don't let them see my knickerline!!' Dendy said I should have smiled back at them, but to be honest, I was just so aware of the silence and the eyes, I panicked and sped off. They know who I am, they usually smile, but when it's 2 against 1 I lost my bottle. Now, I've decided to steel myself, and instigate a smile next time!!
Anyway, that's all for now, I'll let you know the rest after the match!
Report for Saturday 2nd November
OK, we were pretty disappointed with our seats today, and there were no free seats to 'keep warm' for the ticket holders, so I doubt Marat saw us or the flag; Maybe we'll find out when he comes down later tonight.
Anyway, Marat was incredibly relaxed in the hotel today, and things hadn't changed on court; during the official pictures that are taken at the net with the umpire, Marat stuck two fingers up behind Leyhani's head! (Leyhani being the umpire) Of course the crowd was in hysterics. We were also treated to some heading of stray tennis balls! Who says you don't get your money's worth at a Safin match?
Moya wasn't playing aswell as he had the day before, and Marat's confidence was through the roof! He seemed so sure of himself, that he was being adventurous with his shots and enjoying his tennis. I'm so happy I can say that!!! Now the obstacle of Shanghai qualification has been lifted, it's like Marat's been reborn. We are seeing the quality tennis of 2000 with the same passion and enthusiasm. Today's match was just a joy to watch. His serve was on form, careless mistakes were pretty minimal, and there was no racket throwing or tantrums. Just one query over a shot that was actually in, but was called against him. Moya wasn't playing bad, Marat was just playing incredibly well.
After he won the first set, he thumped his fist towards the box in victory. But it was when Marat was up 6-5 in the second set, that you could see his desperation to break Moya and win 7-5. Anything to avoid a tie break! But it wasn't to be. Marat had to face his fears and win via a tie break, which he did superbly, with a 7-4 win!! The relief and joy on his face was an absolute picture that words can't describe. He danced into the centre of the court, and enjoyed the rapture of the crowd!
Later at the hotel, Vee and I were inside the restaurant, when we realised we'd left a few things at our hotel (laptop included), so I run out, only to nearly take Amit's eye out with my umbrella! He, Munchkin and Marat had just arrived. Amit and Anatoly ran in out of the rain (and almost into me!) while Marat signed for a few fans, one of whom begged for a kiss, which Marat eventually agreed to! Lucky girl! I carried on to the hotel, and by the time I'd dragged our stuff under an umbrella into the restaurant, Marat had gone up with Munchkin, but Amit was at the bar (probably ordering snacks for Marat as usual) and he found it amusing as I ran off my checklist to Vee of what I'd remembered to bring, while struggling with a soaking wet umbrella.
Update: Amit has been wandering around the lobby, and we've just found out why. Marat's best friend (and a guy he sponsors) Denis Golovanov has just arrived! How sweet! Amit took him straight upstairs, and he's probably got a room here as well. We don't know the real reason why he's here, but it's probably just to congratulate and celebrate with his best friend; Apparently, Marat often does that! What a great friend he is! And I'll tell you something girls, Denis is not bad looking at all! I don't know how we'll cope with 2 tall good looking Russians hanging out together! Denis is as blond as Marat is dark, but Vee has just decided I can have Denis, and she'll force herself to take Marat off my hands. Yeah, cheers Vee...
And that's about all for tonight ladies and gentleman!
Davai Marat, make us proud!!
Report By Ruth
Report for Wednesday 30th October
OK, by now you'll know HE WON!! But before we start our 'Shanghai Victory dance' let's see what led up to it, eh?
First of all, I forgot to mention that Volkov isn't here because he's ill and has lost his voice, that's why Amit's acting as stand in coach. If you saw the match, you may have seen Matt and a certain 'mystery blonde' that goes by the name of Dendy in Marat's box!! How lucky are they?
You may also have seen a large flag of the Russian persuasion being flailed around wildly....Yep, that was me and the Veester with our 15 seconds of fame!!!!Want to know who else was in his box??? Oh alright then... Gerard and his sister (?), Anatoly and Amit. Kafelnikov also came to see Marat play after he lost his doubles match; which, quite frankly, serves him right, as he hit both me and Dendy on the head with a wonky shot during said match!! The Italian guy, Roberto was also in Marat's box, but he left after about 10mins. (we are still non the wiser as to who this Roberto is or what he does, or his connection to Marat, but none of the fans we have spoken with have a good word for him... the general consensus is Marat could do without him)
And finally, there were no girls in Marat's box, or at the hotel...he hasn't even chatted up the girls on the transport desk!!! And we've seen Marat return to the hotel every night, and he's always with his beloved Amit and Anatoly (I have nicknamed Anatoly 'Munchkin Man' and I've decided to kidnap him and put him on my bedroom shelf in a jam jar, because I just adore him!! Such a cutie pie!!)
Right then, down to the match. The crowd was undeniably on Marat's side against a very tired looking Nalbandian. The poor guy had played a singles match the previous day and then after returning to rest at the hotel, had then gone back to the stadium at around 10pm for his doubles match, which he lost. But Marat was leaving nothing to chance. There was no racket throwing or tantrums, no looking pathetically into his box for support: the Marat that walked onto Centre Court was purpose-driven and focussed. He showed a stunning display of maturity: even the few careless mistakes he made didn't cause him to sigh dramatically or argue pointlessly; he simply brushed them aside and carried on playing incredible tennis. He was showing the independence and concentration that has been noticeably lacking and debated over for so long. His exquisite backhands down the line revealed the true brilliance of Marat's tennis that have lain dormant for so long beneath a layer of exhaustion, frustration and disappointment. It was a match we Marat fans have long waited and hoped for. Vee, myself and Dendy truly believe that if Marat carries on playing at this level, he could once again win here.
During the match, Amit was clapping and banging the side of the barrier to aid Marat. Matt asked him why he did this since Marat couldn't hear him. Amit replied that Marat could always pick out his applause no matter how loud the crowd. Munchkin just clapped his fist, and muttered to himself excitedly in Russian. There were a few other Russian flags...one girl sitting near us had made her own Russian flag aswell as several banners and slogan t-shirts which were frequently shown on camera. After his victory, Marat made a Davis Cup plea for some fans to support Russia next month which was met with whistling and laughter!! He then played a guy who had caught the tennis ball thrown into the crowd by the previous Centre Court winner. After 2 nice serves to him, Marat then decided to power up and deliver the unsuspecting fan with a blistering serve. The only problem was, he hit it straight into the net!! He put his head into his hands and died of shame while the crowd erupted into laughter!! A girl in one of the corporate boxes had made a cardboard placard with 'I LOVE YOU MARAT' on it. After the match, Marat gave her a peck on the cheek, as requested, but promptly forgot to sign anything for her, and despite her begging he just left the court!! I think he just didn't realise. He was too busy enjoying the glorious relief of having qualified for Shanghai and the smiles during his on court interview said it all. He can finally relax, with critics silenced and fans celebrating. Enjoy your week Marat! Let the victory dance commence!
Report for Thursday 31st October
OK, some bad news: Amit mentioned this morning he wasn't feeling too well. Well, upon returning to the hotel, it turns out he's hurt his back quite badly and is almost bedridden (apparently) so it's unlikely he will attend Marat's match tonight, and he may return home sooner than planned. We're not sure if Gerard's still here, because he's disappeared, however, he may stick around now that Amit seems to be out of action.
Anyhoo... this morning me and Vee got our 'flag-of-fame-fix' during Kafelnikov's match against Hewitt. Did you see me on the telly, mum?
Unfortunately, we spent most of the match playing musical chairs, as we had moved onto the front row, since it was empty, but the rightful owners slowly drifted in, so we and the flag had to move further and further along the row, causing Zhenya to do more than one double take, as if to say 'where are they now???' Unfortunately, despite his brave attempts in the beginning of the second set, and Hewitt's carelessness, Kafelnikov still lost. If it hadn't come down to a tie break, he may have had a chance, but it wasn't to be.Since I'm writing this in the lobby of the Sofitel (where me Dendy, Vee and occasionally Matt have happily 'player-watched' since our arrival), waiting for Marat's match (and a possible appearance in the flesh) I'll fill you in on some of the other matches I've seen today.
First up, is Haas-Federer, the winner being Federer; not much to say as we only caught the end, but both seemed strong. Next was Kafel, so onto an outstanding Srichaphan, who has thundered through his matches, his latest victim being a very aggressive Canas. Paradorn has a huge fan base here, and I have a crazy feeling it may be a Srichaphan-Safin final, simply because both players are showing a finesse and quality early on, that has not been apparent in all players. But we also have the small problem of Agassi and Hewitt still being in the draw...
Then there was Andy Roddick and Andrei Pavel...when Vee and I left, we honestly thought A-Rod would be out on his ear, but we later found out he'd battled back and won. Maybe a certain Mandy Moore brought him luck. (just ask Matt who sat next to her for the match!!)
Marat himself has been in bed for most of the day, following a late night last night. Despite it being the players party, Marat chose to have dinner with one of his Russian (male) friends instead and he, Amit and Munchkinsky 'wobbled' into the lobby looking a little 'inebriated'. Seems like they too had been celebrating the guaranteed Shanghai appearance. Amit was going to come over and talk to us, but decided he couldn't negotiate the labyrinth of chairs, and instead, man-handled Marat into bed. (Marat never took his eyes off his mobile, which he always looks at like he doesn't know how to use) Today as we left for the stadium at around 12:30am, Amit was still trying to rouse his lordship for practise.
End of report for Thursday 31st October
Ah... another match under his belt, another smile on our faces. Matt and Dendy were once again in Marat's box, and me and Vee were prominently positioned with our lucky flag. It seemed almost too good to be true when Marat looked up at us and gave us a quick smile of recognition during his warm up! Amit had recovered enough to join Marat at his match along with my beloved Munchkin and Gerard. If you saw the match on TV, you may have seen Julie, so I'll deal with this first. Trust me, it's not as bad as it seems!
She arrived late, and only had tickets for a corporate box: she couldn't get into the players box. After 10 mins, she then left for about 20mins. Then she returned, newspaper in hand, which she promptly read during the match, because, as we found out, she doesn't understand tennis. Vee and I kept close tabs on Marat to see if he would notice her (this seemed to be her sole intention) and it wasn't until Marat had won, and was walking off court, that Julie, who was the last person standing in the boxes, finally caught his eye. Marat gave a subtle roll of his eyes and walked out. Dendy remarked that only Gerard acknowledged her, I'm not sure if Amit or Anatoly even saw her. Back at the hotel, we settled in for a good 1-2 hour wait for Marat's return with Julie. However, much to our surprise, he was back within about 20-30mins, sans Julie, and showing off is new mobile to Canas. (it's the SamsungT300 that can send photos: he doesn't know how to use it, but was just making people look at his latest gadget...boys will be boys!) To top off an almost perfect day, Marat came over to our table, waited for us to stop talking, then gave us the most beautiful smile, with a 'Thank You' and a thumbs up, he then smiled at each of us in turn and went up to bed. AH Marat!! All we could do was smile back: Vee and I practically floated back to our hotel!! And no, Julie did not arrive later at the Hotel, which makes us wonder whether she had actually been invited or had just decided to get tickets to see Marat. (and I mean 'SEE' not watch his tennis) Wonder why I'm being a tad bitchy? Well, she stood up at one point and turned around to assess the crowd. On seeing us with our flag, (we were sitting right behind her) she gave us a pretty dirty look and sat back down again. Very mature. She also committed a cardinal fashion sin by wearing a black bra under a thin white top. SHOCK HORROR!!! I have already notified the Fashion Police. Ok, that's Julie out of the way (literally, heheheh) so lets get down to business!!
Schalken was going to be a trickier opponent, since he didn't have the fatigue of Nalbandian and has a more troublesome game. But our Marat was up to the challenge, although, it has to be said, the opening set was a bit of a rollercoaster for the old nerves. Marat didn't look as immediately comfortable as he had done the previous day, and he did have a few dramatic sighs and head-rolling moments. After the first set, however, we got the feeling the score would be repeated in Marat's favour. Marat had four break points in total during the match, the first being in the seventh game of the first set. Marat actually managed to break Sjeng to lead 6-5 and then served out the set. The first game of the second set was fairly long, with Marat almost breaking him again, so Schalken retaliated and nearly broke his serve!! They then settled into a fairly even match, each winning their own serve, until 5-5 when Marat decided to drive ahead. Once again, Marat broke him for 6-5 and served out the match with a beautiful ace. Bravo Marat! Gerard commented on Marat's sudden use of volleys, which came out of the blue but worked wonders. All tell-tale signs of Marat's re-emerging confidence both with his tennis ability and with himself. (as I write, Marat has just entered the lobby, and is once again showing off his mobile to anyone who will listen) Marat has finally (and hopefully permanently) found his elusive confidence and we are all so proud! Roll on Escude!
Report for Friday 1st November
For a few heart stopping moments we thought we'd be packing our bags tonight! But fortunately, Marat's maturity pulled him (and us) through to the semi's. The match was always going to be tough, just because of the large French crowd, who saw this as a sign of things to come during Davis Cup. The band that had chanted and sang their way through Grosjean's near miss yesterday were back en force, but the crowd wasn't as loud as I'd expected, and Marat had a few fans in the audience apart from ourselves. The worst part was that our tickets for today were really bad... All the way at the back. Our only hope was to see if any seats were free on the front row, and do our cuckoo trick of sitting in them, and hoping the rightful owners don't appear. But this method is always tricky (and slightly embarrassing I imagine) when you've got a Russian flag taped to the barrier. But by the grace of God, two seats right at the front of our stand were unoccupied and no-one came to claim them, so, although we were at the other end of the court, we could still support Marat flag-stylee. Dendy told us that Anatoly and Amit were looking for us in our usual places, but I don't think they could see us. However, Marat noticed us and gave us a look of 'oh you ARE here... good, I could do with the support, but stop moving around!' Apparently, Marat can be quite superstitious when it comes to his matches, and he may have been a bit annoyed that his fans had all got different seats (some other Russian flags had also moved/disappeared) He also looked more tired, which isn't surprising. Amit and Anatoly arrived after Gerard, and as a result, they had to get someone to move people out of their seats so they could sit down! Poor Amit looked like he was in pain with his back, as he kept doing mini stretching exercises to ease it, and when he came into the restaurant just now, he was walking a bit funny.
Escude had a nervous start, and kept hitting various serves into the net, which seemed to give Marat a slight edge. As we had hoped, the pressure of the French crowd had got to Escude, and Marat felt he had nothing to lose. Perfect winning conditions. Except in the second set, the reverse happened, and Escude began feeding off the crowd, while Marat began to double fault. At one point, Marat had matchpoint, but didn't quite pull it off, so it went to a third set, which we were quite grateful for, as no-one is quite sure how Marat could handle a tie-break yet. But fortunately it didn't come to that. He seemed to just brush off the second set loss, and start afresh with the third set. This is a definite sign of Marat's self-assurance and his relaxed attitude to playing. (and I mean relaxed in the best possible sense.) The third set was simply claimed as a fait accompli by a strong, competent Marat and we were over the moon!! Despite a largely anti-Marat crowd and a fired up Escude, Marat steamrollered his way to victory, and the little look of appreciation he gave us while waiting to shake the umpires hand was the icing on the cake!
Back at the hotel, he arrived about an hour later with Anatoly and Amit, looking a little jaded and ready for bed, despite it only being 8.20pm. Even so, he gave us a tiny smile just as he left the lobby, and Amit herded him upstairs; Munchkin was on the phone.
One last thing: Julie came again... she was only an hour and a half late (!!) and so only saw the last 20-30mins. Unfortunately for her, her tickets must have been even worse than the day before, because she was stuck at the back of a corporate box behind the umpires chair. At least she clapped once or twice (and we mean once or twice!). Nevermind... tomorrow it's Marat V Carlos Moya, who we watched despatch Agassi just before Marat's match and judging by Moya's performance, it will be Marat's toughest match yet. But from what we've seen today, victory for Marat (and a Bercy title) are not out of reach.
Aftermath of Friday 1st November
Just thought I'd fill you in on a few things that happened back at the hotel after Marat's Escude Victory. As I mentioned before, Marat gave us a tired smile when he arrived back at the Hotel and went straight to bed. Around 10:00pm Anatoly came down all dressed up in a leather jacket, but all alone. So he sat on a chair in the lobby and waited for about 15 -20 mins. To pass the time he watched three mad fans chatter and laugh their way through 3 Salade Du Chef's and a couple of diet cokes. After that, we were up and down looking at the score of the Scrichaphan/Roddick match, which meant squeezing passed Munchkin to see the TV. Finally, Marat came down. Being in a funny mood, he crept up slowly behind Anatoly, like a little boy anticipating the reaction of his prank. Just as he got to Anatoly's chair, he pounced on his shoulders. Well, they had to practically scrape poor Munchkin off the ceiling, while Marat giggled like a naughty schoolboy, proud that he'd pulled off the surprise and got a laugh out of it as well. Audience reaction was obviously as important as giving Anatoly a cardiac arrest. Amit then sauntered into the lobby with a lady, who Dendy has the feeling is a Russian journalist they are friends with, and was also at Liverpool. (but don't quote her on that!) Anyway, the four of them decided to leave to eat at around 10:30pm. Vee, myself and Denise were sitting behind a pillar, so Marat poked his head through the gap to give us another dazzling smile. Amit, however, being the drama queen he is, blew a kiss to us from over his shoulder!
And now onto the most embarrassing thing that's happened so far. After we'd finished eating, we decided to go for a stroll around Paris. Well, we'd been walking for about 10mins, messing around, when Dendy said ' Don't you just hate it when you're eating in a restaurant and people are looking in' at which point we did just that and saw Marat in a Japanese restaurant ,shovelling food into his mouth like a famine was imminent. Anatoly was quietly gobbling too, while Amit was slouched all over a rather bored looking journalist. Well, the three of us just walked as fast as we could, faces glowing with shame, desperately hoping they hadn't noticed us. I know the lady saw us, but Marat was so involved in his food, he couldn't see past the plate he was scooping to his huge hungry mouth. Amit may have seen us, and I'm not sure about Munchkinsky. However, a few cryptic comments were made this morning, which we may query later after the match, to reassure them it was complete coincidence and we are not stalking them around Gay Paris! About 45mins later, after walking as far as possible in the opposite direction and getting a little disorientated into the bargain, we found ourselves walking past the same restaurant, but it was now closed, so it doesn't look like they'd been there for long. Instead, they'd gone straight back to the hotel. Marat had probably bankrupted them. And no, the journalist was not here this morning, and she looked too old for Marat, so no silly hysterics please!
This morning (Saturday), we found the order of play had changed because Srichaphan had played so late last night, so Marat was supposed to be second on court. However, the doubles match that was meant to be played first, has been cancelled, so we're back at the Sofitel waiting patiently until 3pm for Marat's match.
This morning, a very relaxed Marat and Amit appeared, and had some fun teasing and laughing with Dendy. Marat then slumped lazily into a lobby chair, while Amit chatted to him. Dendy and I were talking at out table, when out of the blue, a guy came over and asked us if that was Carlos Moya in the chair. We replied, no, that's Marat Safin. He then pointed to a dark haired gentleman, who was standing next to Marat, and asked if THAT was Carlos Moya. Again we said no, and I turned in time to see a shocked Marat peering around the corner at us as if to say 'Please don't abandon me for Moya! You're MY fans!' I then decided to be brave and go to the toilet, which means walking solo right past Marat and Amit. It was all going swimmingly. Dendy was still talking to me about her lost umbrella, and I replied as I walked away, which garnered a few looks from Marat and Amit (who were possibly trying to work out if we WERE going to betray Marat at the last minute, and umbrella was some kind of code word) But just as I got parallel with the duo, there was a sudden silence from them, and four large eyes followed me all the way to the ladies. And all I could think was 'Please don't let them see my knickerline!!' Dendy said I should have smiled back at them, but to be honest, I was just so aware of the silence and the eyes, I panicked and sped off. They know who I am, they usually smile, but when it's 2 against 1 I lost my bottle. Now, I've decided to steel myself, and instigate a smile next time!!
Anyway, that's all for now, I'll let you know the rest after the match!
Report for Saturday 2nd November
OK, we were pretty disappointed with our seats today, and there were no free seats to 'keep warm' for the ticket holders, so I doubt Marat saw us or the flag; Maybe we'll find out when he comes down later tonight.
Anyway, Marat was incredibly relaxed in the hotel today, and things hadn't changed on court; during the official pictures that are taken at the net with the umpire, Marat stuck two fingers up behind Leyhani's head! (Leyhani being the umpire) Of course the crowd was in hysterics. We were also treated to some heading of stray tennis balls! Who says you don't get your money's worth at a Safin match?
Moya wasn't playing aswell as he had the day before, and Marat's confidence was through the roof! He seemed so sure of himself, that he was being adventurous with his shots and enjoying his tennis. I'm so happy I can say that!!! Now the obstacle of Shanghai qualification has been lifted, it's like Marat's been reborn. We are seeing the quality tennis of 2000 with the same passion and enthusiasm. Today's match was just a joy to watch. His serve was on form, careless mistakes were pretty minimal, and there was no racket throwing or tantrums. Just one query over a shot that was actually in, but was called against him. Moya wasn't playing bad, Marat was just playing incredibly well.
After he won the first set, he thumped his fist towards the box in victory. But it was when Marat was up 6-5 in the second set, that you could see his desperation to break Moya and win 7-5. Anything to avoid a tie break! But it wasn't to be. Marat had to face his fears and win via a tie break, which he did superbly, with a 7-4 win!! The relief and joy on his face was an absolute picture that words can't describe. He danced into the centre of the court, and enjoyed the rapture of the crowd!
Later at the hotel, Vee and I were inside the restaurant, when we realised we'd left a few things at our hotel (laptop included), so I run out, only to nearly take Amit's eye out with my umbrella! He, Munchkin and Marat had just arrived. Amit and Anatoly ran in out of the rain (and almost into me!) while Marat signed for a few fans, one of whom begged for a kiss, which Marat eventually agreed to! Lucky girl! I carried on to the hotel, and by the time I'd dragged our stuff under an umbrella into the restaurant, Marat had gone up with Munchkin, but Amit was at the bar (probably ordering snacks for Marat as usual) and he found it amusing as I ran off my checklist to Vee of what I'd remembered to bring, while struggling with a soaking wet umbrella.
Update: Amit has been wandering around the lobby, and we've just found out why. Marat's best friend (and a guy he sponsors) Denis Golovanov has just arrived! How sweet! Amit took him straight upstairs, and he's probably got a room here as well. We don't know the real reason why he's here, but it's probably just to congratulate and celebrate with his best friend; Apparently, Marat often does that! What a great friend he is! And I'll tell you something girls, Denis is not bad looking at all! I don't know how we'll cope with 2 tall good looking Russians hanging out together! Denis is as blond as Marat is dark, but Vee has just decided I can have Denis, and she'll force herself to take Marat off my hands. Yeah, cheers Vee...
And that's about all for tonight ladies and gentleman!
Davai Marat, make us proud!!
