Post by Annie on Jun 28, 2005 15:54:45 GMT 3
Well Done the Red Bull!
Well. I must confess that, like Marat, I too have "missed tennis". How I've missed it! That is not a strange thing to say in my case, because all my passion for the game took an extended vacation when the Alpha Wolf took his hiatus last year.
But he's back - and oh boy is he back - the black sheep, the underdog, the unseeded player has carved a place for himself in the Australian Open Finals once more. I am once more exhausted with lack of sleep and mental and physical fatigue, cheering him on - on my feet! - and I have never had a bigger grin on my face. In fact, I have a new name for him, that just kept ringing in my head these past two weeks: The Red Bull.
Obviously the Red stands for his Russian blood, and the famously fiery temperament. The Bull, which in the past could have meant his hard-headedness and the steam erupting in his famous on-court implosions, now means something significantly, if subtly, different - it now stands for an incredible stamina and self-determination, an unwavering, stubborn fighting attitude that is just blowing everyone away.
Talking about bulls is not the same as facing them in the ring.
-- Mexican Proverb
I think it is not a far cry to say that Marat has the world flabbergasted at this point - not the least the young American World Number One and the other Great American Champion. To come out practically back from the abyss and plough your way through against seemingly impossible odds and set up a Quarterfinals match against the Number One Seed is no small feat. To stand there and steadfastly take every shot he has to give and calmly defeat him is a glorious achievement. And to go from that grueling match and face the last great legend of the sport and quietly humble him - that is beyond all measure.
But that is not what is so surprising - at least, not to me. I have always maintained that Marat is capable of such feats of magnificence. I look upon these victories not as his rewards, but his due. I feel not so much the satisfaction of triumph, as the gratification of a promise fulfilled. The promise that is the luminous talent of one long-unseen-but-never-forgotten Marat Safin.
We think adversity itself is darkness, but the reality of the darkness is that it can serve to illuminate the light. Without pain there is no pleasure, without valleys there are no mountain tops and without struggle there is no sense of achievement.
Max Cleland
He vowed to the world that he is a new man. I disagree. I think it is not so much that he is a changed man, but an improved one. The fishing in Monte Carlo must be really good! : But seriously - if he had to take a break from tennis at all, it could not have come at a more prodigious time. His time off has done wonders for him, and in all positive ways. He learned to miss tennis for himself - which is to say that he finally had the silence and the solitude to ponder about his chosen career and finally make the decisive choice that yes, it is what he enjoys doing, and yes, it is what he wants to do.
That decisiveness, that resolution, is what finally helps him now to deal with all the "pressure" that has so burdened him before. Marat took a good long look inside himself and finally realized that he was born to play tennis - and, more importantly, that it is a profession that he enjoys being in. He finally has a sense of control, and it reflects in his game in a profound way.
He has pushed himself, he has taken the discipline in his own hands, regarding his training and the punishing physical regime it takes to hone and sculpt his body to the optimum form and fitness that he needs to be in. He is now taking mature responsibility about practice, and training, and discipline and focus. And restraint. That is the biggest improvement of all.
No longer is he the reckless young blood who played such a high-risk and frustratingly inconsistent game. He still dares to take great and breathtaking risks, but it is now tempered with self-control, and the resolute, deadly intent to fight for every point. Whether on his serve or the opponent's. The quality of his tennis for the past fortnight is testament to that fact. The old Marat would not have lasted into the second week, especially after having been away for so long. The new Marat just goes in there with the tenacity and stubbornness of a bull; and these, combined with his natural blazing talent, eventually crumbles the man on the other side of the net. The new Marat is like a brick wall - he just stands there, stony and silent, and you either tear him down or you knock yourself out trying. It is no longer a matter of finding the chink in his armor and working from there. You have to take him down brick by brick, or smash yourself against him in the effort.
"When someone tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, "I'm going to prove you wrong!" -- Picabo Street
There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have been the cry from the Safin battlefield. Not so now. I have always observed that he plays his most brilliant tennis when the spotlight is not focused on him, when he is under no pressure to prove himself. And although he is indeed the underdog in this year's Australian Open, I have come to the conclusion that it is more than that. Marat, it seems, has at last conquered his demons. There have been a few uncertain hints about his "mental strength" these past two weeks, but they have been that - uncertain. For the most part, people are now talking about Marat with an admiration that is almost reverential. They are in awe of the man. On a quite different level than the past brilliant US Open 2000 Men's Champion. That was the seed. This is the promise taking fruition. And the rewards are sweet to reap. Above all, more than praise and wonderment and compliments, the reaction to the new Marat Safin is one that I have no doubt he will be even more pleased with: there are quiet words of respect.
The formula for the new Marat is simple -
"A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it." - Alistair Cooke
He has at last grown up.
None of the frantic thinking, the anxious grasping for tactics and strategies, none of the impatient, desperate shots to finish the point, none of the erratic mood swings. All right. Significantly less of all of it. Instead, there is the perfect focus, the intense concentration. And still I say that he is not "thinking on court". He doesn't need to - in fact, it's why he has gotten so far, why he has downed both the World Number One and the defending Champion. He has found the form and confidence he displayed back in 2000 - and that is by going purely with his instincts. I truly believe that is the key with Marat. When he starts to "think" is when things are apt to go wrong - the third set of his semifinal match is a primary example. Once he starts worrying that he just has to hold serve, once he becomes painfully aware of each point, once he lets the outside world in - that's the danger point for him.
Marat works best on autopilot. That is the simple truth. His natural talent and gut instincts are more than enough, and will carry him through any game - that is how much he is blessed - so long as he concentrates and focuses. The hard work is outside the court - the preparation, the planning of strategy and defense with a coach maybe, the working out and the practice, the perfecting of his arsenal of weapons, which are considerable. But once inside the court, then Marat plays best when he lets everything go and transforms himself into a cold, merciless tennis machine. That is why he finds it hard to explain the significant victories of his career - defeating Pete Sampras, and now Andre Agassi. Those matches are classic, and a prime illustration of the brilliance of Marat relying on raw talent and gut instinct. "How did you do it?" "Man, I just don't know!"
"The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between the great and the insignificant, is energy -- invincible determination -- a purpose once fixed and then death or victory." -- Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
That is Marat at his finest.
From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)
At the end of the day, all that Marat can find words to say is how much he appreciates the support of "the people". In that aspect he has not changed one bit. He still does it for the spectators. "I hope you enjoyed the match tonight&ldots;" he says shyly, trembling with fatigue where he stands. He cannot find the customary words of sportsmanship and praise for his colleague's efforts, he stumbles through a reply of how he came back to the form that he is playing in now, even his smile is exhausted. But he endears himself to the public by once more apologizing for having defeated their fierce favorite, and promising another great show for them in two days' time. For Marat, it is still always "for the people".
"A hero is someone who the moment prior to becoming one was a reckless, irresponsible dreamer." -- Rick Beneteau
A very happy birthday to you, Marat. You have, again and as always, given us "the present" of the great joy of watching you play, and might I also say a great big hug welcome back to you! We have missed you sorely - here's hoping you won't leave us for too long ever again. For as long as there is the Alpha Wolf to cheer on, you can count on it that we will be there screaming as hoarse as the rest of the newly-awed world. What a comeback. What a great road to the Finals. And whatever the results come Sunday, what a fantastic way to start the year - in more ways than one. Here's to you - much love, and light, and happiness. And more blazing glory ahead! Cheers!
I Believe In You!
Isabelle
01.29.04
Well. I must confess that, like Marat, I too have "missed tennis". How I've missed it! That is not a strange thing to say in my case, because all my passion for the game took an extended vacation when the Alpha Wolf took his hiatus last year.
But he's back - and oh boy is he back - the black sheep, the underdog, the unseeded player has carved a place for himself in the Australian Open Finals once more. I am once more exhausted with lack of sleep and mental and physical fatigue, cheering him on - on my feet! - and I have never had a bigger grin on my face. In fact, I have a new name for him, that just kept ringing in my head these past two weeks: The Red Bull.
Obviously the Red stands for his Russian blood, and the famously fiery temperament. The Bull, which in the past could have meant his hard-headedness and the steam erupting in his famous on-court implosions, now means something significantly, if subtly, different - it now stands for an incredible stamina and self-determination, an unwavering, stubborn fighting attitude that is just blowing everyone away.
Talking about bulls is not the same as facing them in the ring.
-- Mexican Proverb
I think it is not a far cry to say that Marat has the world flabbergasted at this point - not the least the young American World Number One and the other Great American Champion. To come out practically back from the abyss and plough your way through against seemingly impossible odds and set up a Quarterfinals match against the Number One Seed is no small feat. To stand there and steadfastly take every shot he has to give and calmly defeat him is a glorious achievement. And to go from that grueling match and face the last great legend of the sport and quietly humble him - that is beyond all measure.
But that is not what is so surprising - at least, not to me. I have always maintained that Marat is capable of such feats of magnificence. I look upon these victories not as his rewards, but his due. I feel not so much the satisfaction of triumph, as the gratification of a promise fulfilled. The promise that is the luminous talent of one long-unseen-but-never-forgotten Marat Safin.
We think adversity itself is darkness, but the reality of the darkness is that it can serve to illuminate the light. Without pain there is no pleasure, without valleys there are no mountain tops and without struggle there is no sense of achievement.
Max Cleland
He vowed to the world that he is a new man. I disagree. I think it is not so much that he is a changed man, but an improved one. The fishing in Monte Carlo must be really good! : But seriously - if he had to take a break from tennis at all, it could not have come at a more prodigious time. His time off has done wonders for him, and in all positive ways. He learned to miss tennis for himself - which is to say that he finally had the silence and the solitude to ponder about his chosen career and finally make the decisive choice that yes, it is what he enjoys doing, and yes, it is what he wants to do.
That decisiveness, that resolution, is what finally helps him now to deal with all the "pressure" that has so burdened him before. Marat took a good long look inside himself and finally realized that he was born to play tennis - and, more importantly, that it is a profession that he enjoys being in. He finally has a sense of control, and it reflects in his game in a profound way.
He has pushed himself, he has taken the discipline in his own hands, regarding his training and the punishing physical regime it takes to hone and sculpt his body to the optimum form and fitness that he needs to be in. He is now taking mature responsibility about practice, and training, and discipline and focus. And restraint. That is the biggest improvement of all.
No longer is he the reckless young blood who played such a high-risk and frustratingly inconsistent game. He still dares to take great and breathtaking risks, but it is now tempered with self-control, and the resolute, deadly intent to fight for every point. Whether on his serve or the opponent's. The quality of his tennis for the past fortnight is testament to that fact. The old Marat would not have lasted into the second week, especially after having been away for so long. The new Marat just goes in there with the tenacity and stubbornness of a bull; and these, combined with his natural blazing talent, eventually crumbles the man on the other side of the net. The new Marat is like a brick wall - he just stands there, stony and silent, and you either tear him down or you knock yourself out trying. It is no longer a matter of finding the chink in his armor and working from there. You have to take him down brick by brick, or smash yourself against him in the effort.
"When someone tells me there is only one way to do things, it always lights a fire under my butt. My instant reaction is, "I'm going to prove you wrong!" -- Picabo Street
There was a time, not too long ago, when that would have been the cry from the Safin battlefield. Not so now. I have always observed that he plays his most brilliant tennis when the spotlight is not focused on him, when he is under no pressure to prove himself. And although he is indeed the underdog in this year's Australian Open, I have come to the conclusion that it is more than that. Marat, it seems, has at last conquered his demons. There have been a few uncertain hints about his "mental strength" these past two weeks, but they have been that - uncertain. For the most part, people are now talking about Marat with an admiration that is almost reverential. They are in awe of the man. On a quite different level than the past brilliant US Open 2000 Men's Champion. That was the seed. This is the promise taking fruition. And the rewards are sweet to reap. Above all, more than praise and wonderment and compliments, the reaction to the new Marat Safin is one that I have no doubt he will be even more pleased with: there are quiet words of respect.
The formula for the new Marat is simple -
"A professional is a person who can do his best at a time when he doesn't particularly feel like it." - Alistair Cooke
He has at last grown up.
None of the frantic thinking, the anxious grasping for tactics and strategies, none of the impatient, desperate shots to finish the point, none of the erratic mood swings. All right. Significantly less of all of it. Instead, there is the perfect focus, the intense concentration. And still I say that he is not "thinking on court". He doesn't need to - in fact, it's why he has gotten so far, why he has downed both the World Number One and the defending Champion. He has found the form and confidence he displayed back in 2000 - and that is by going purely with his instincts. I truly believe that is the key with Marat. When he starts to "think" is when things are apt to go wrong - the third set of his semifinal match is a primary example. Once he starts worrying that he just has to hold serve, once he becomes painfully aware of each point, once he lets the outside world in - that's the danger point for him.
Marat works best on autopilot. That is the simple truth. His natural talent and gut instincts are more than enough, and will carry him through any game - that is how much he is blessed - so long as he concentrates and focuses. The hard work is outside the court - the preparation, the planning of strategy and defense with a coach maybe, the working out and the practice, the perfecting of his arsenal of weapons, which are considerable. But once inside the court, then Marat plays best when he lets everything go and transforms himself into a cold, merciless tennis machine. That is why he finds it hard to explain the significant victories of his career - defeating Pete Sampras, and now Andre Agassi. Those matches are classic, and a prime illustration of the brilliance of Marat relying on raw talent and gut instinct. "How did you do it?" "Man, I just don't know!"
"The longer I live, the more I am certain that the great difference between the great and the insignificant, is energy -- invincible determination -- a purpose once fixed and then death or victory." -- Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton
That is Marat at his finest.
From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life.
Arthur Ashe (1943-1993)
At the end of the day, all that Marat can find words to say is how much he appreciates the support of "the people". In that aspect he has not changed one bit. He still does it for the spectators. "I hope you enjoyed the match tonight&ldots;" he says shyly, trembling with fatigue where he stands. He cannot find the customary words of sportsmanship and praise for his colleague's efforts, he stumbles through a reply of how he came back to the form that he is playing in now, even his smile is exhausted. But he endears himself to the public by once more apologizing for having defeated their fierce favorite, and promising another great show for them in two days' time. For Marat, it is still always "for the people".
"A hero is someone who the moment prior to becoming one was a reckless, irresponsible dreamer." -- Rick Beneteau
A very happy birthday to you, Marat. You have, again and as always, given us "the present" of the great joy of watching you play, and might I also say a great big hug welcome back to you! We have missed you sorely - here's hoping you won't leave us for too long ever again. For as long as there is the Alpha Wolf to cheer on, you can count on it that we will be there screaming as hoarse as the rest of the newly-awed world. What a comeback. What a great road to the Finals. And whatever the results come Sunday, what a fantastic way to start the year - in more ways than one. Here's to you - much love, and light, and happiness. And more blazing glory ahead! Cheers!
I Believe In You!
Isabelle
01.29.04
