Marat Safin Forum

Simon is in Roger's section again. I'm looking for what is tentatively being called "the third accident"

I saw Ferrero/Andreev today. I couldn't say what happened with Igor, his inside out forehand kept rocketing wide on him, but the first set had me hooked in. It was mostly big baseline, though, so not a match everyone would enjoy.

Talk about luck or "bad day" - So many top seeds fell already...

Simon, Monfils, Del Potro, Berdych, Cilic..

Kolya Davydenko made me happy today - he won his first match since coming back after injury against giant Karlovic 6:3 6:4 ! I wish him the best ! Good start for clay season !

Right. I reckon it's that time again to look at the competition going into Ronald Garros and Wimbledon. You know, you blink and stuff has moved on so fast! It was just the other day I was watching Tsonga take the South Africa Masters, and it's been none stop since then! Nadal, I have to be honest, is looking like the beast he is. He is disciplined, focussed and working. You can see him going away from each match, fixing his game, and coming back. He's single minded, and has put everything else other than his game out of his mind. I really think that if the rest of the field don't find something special he's gonna win them all...Austrailia, France, England, The U.S. Federer is moving slower than I've ever seen him, and his game is beginning to look obsolete. Where before it was exquisite and elegant, today, against this lot, it is tentative and under-powered. His serve is now sub-par and his base-line strokes, though still perfectly placed most of the time, lack pace. Murray is the most inconsistent player I've seen and if his team does not keep on him in between tournaments, he seems to try to skate by on his past achievements. Verdasco is excellent but very hard on his body, and the year has not even gotten half way. Monfils is neither here nor there. He's either going to be brilliant at one of the tournaments or it's next year for him. Simon is going from strength to strength calmly and without drama. Del Potro also has been impressive in his own way and if he latches onto belief, and works out his Unforced Errors, who knows...one of them might be his. Djokovic has my begrudging respect. I have a love hate relationship with him but you can see that he's been working, both on his game, and his thirst for winning. His camp has calmed down, and though he still moves around the court between points like a spoiled little boy, more and more he's shrugging stuff off and getting right back into the game. Roddick I don't know. He will always be a force to be reckoned with but he's too hasty, too pushy and therefore, too predictable. Semi's ya, finals maybe, a win...I don't see It. Tsonga, Marat and Wawrinka, for me occupy the same space as far as their game goes and in the context of their chances of winning a Slam. I have this un-ending feeling that one of them...or both of them even...are going to win just one slam this year, but do it spectacularly. They belong to a group of people who's play is just above average usually, until, for some reason, at a single tournament, everything comes together right; mind, body, game. Then they play not just ordinary tennis but the kind of tennis I associcate with Sampras, Becker, Federer, Bjorg that is absolutely spectacular. Nadal is consistent, relentless, un-stoppable but for me his game has never been spectacular. We forget he is young so we don't know. He may end up being the greatest there's ever been. We wait. Gasquet I feel for...he's always almost just there but never quite. I think He has to re-think his entire team. All around though, there are players this year who look dangerous. Berdych. Davydenko when he's on. Gonzales, Cillic, Chardy, Monaco...and maony others seem to be chopmping at the bit. But really...unless something spectacular happens, this year there's no stopping Nadal.

Hope you all enjoying the years tennis. Ay NATASHA, CANDACE! On on.

I don't know, just looking over past winners of Slams, there hasn't really been a truly surprise winner in the last five years anywhere. At most you could count Gaudio (2004 RG) as an unexpected winner. I'm not even sure how many of winners in the past ten years were outside the top 5, not to mention the top 10, when they won a GS.

And given the level of play exhibited by Nadal, Murray and even Djokovic, I really doubt anyone can beat two of them in tournament - as would normally be required, unless some big surprise occurs.

RG is surely Nadal's, he's way favourite for Wimbledon with Federer still alongside there, while Murray and maybe Federer are more or less favourites for US Open - although Nadal and other strong hard court players like Djokovic and Tsonga could put up a challenge. Sure, Federer's game is lackluster, but that's what I thought before Wimbledon and US Open last year as well, and he reached the final in both and even won one.

I am more than certain that no player outside the top 4 will win any of the remaining tournaments unless one of them gets injured. The most I'm hoping for is maybe a surprise finalist at one of these events.

Well said, Kenny !

I would say Nadal has really became an all-surface player, and watching the Final against Djokovic, he does look unstoppable.
Though I have great respect for his talen & working so hard, fighting for every point whether he is up 15:0 or 40:0, I never saw anything special in his game either..
I still think that Roger has a unique style, and once he beats his demons, he is always dangerous opponent, and a #1 condender for GS.
For me, Marat stands right next to him as far as unique style, and even more so, as a lovable character on and off court !

Simon proved to be not very consistent, as so did Tsonga, Monfils, and somewhat Del Potro.
Davydenko has been always an example of consistency, occupying #4 in a world for 4 years. And if he stays injury free, he has a game to go far in big tournaments, and even Grand Slam, but don't know if he's got what it takes to win a GS.

I do agree with fcpolifan that the 'top 4' put themselves so far ahead from everyone else that results become predictable..

Though I do want to see new faces in Finals !

Fairly good analysis - very charming comments on prospects of other players and also on the owner
of this forum!! Marat Safin

Not a trace of bashings of other players!!

Look what our Marat has to endure with the bashings he has recieved on this forum .Syndrome fixations, disgraceful performance etxc etc. maybe not willfully intended but nevertheless : hurting!! The case of mixed loyalties etc etc etc. Peruse through the old threads and the evidence is there!! One of them has mellowed , Mr fcolipan hello!! Thats the good part!!

And i have fought back defending Marat and have spoiled the fun for all and myself!!

Just wait and one of the members will come right back with a self serving rebuttal on what i have just written above!!
to be fair it is without doubt that they are Marats fans and persevere and that is appreciated!! Our approaches differ
alas!! maybe? maybe . I aint sure about that sometimes!!

I dont like to drag on and on with negativism , but i hold the truth dear !!!

Bravo for Roger Federer for sending off Monfils!!

Great to see Roger back to his classic old form and indeed he knew he had to deliver more of his high level game when it does matter ...

Roger has well honed mental/thinking skills in delivering what level he
has to perform. I dreaded if he was going
to give a laid back and noncommital type
of performance!! That would be asking for trouble
and he gave his best with an aggressive game on his first set --!!!! Monfils after the first set just disintegrated

i make comment on RF as Marat thinks highly of him. I would not bother otherwise

(And when Marat was due to play against Monfils this year i said that it was a
great opportunity for Marat to beat him. I had instintive gestures in my mind and
with Marat in pretty good form i knew he could thrash this acrobat- though the mind- mine- is in flux/immanent, and hard to pin down also in retrospect - Never mind, there is
a next time, i hope, for Marat, with a keener aura, to face this intriguing player from the French Carribean!!)

Hope Roger wins this Grand Slam!!

I like Roger a lot too! though for a bit different reason than you, ismail but that's ok

I'm glad someone else is following Men's side after Marat & other Russians are out..

Nike, Kenny, Autumnmaura, Richard - where are you all ? sorry if I forgot others interested in this topic..

Anyway, I think coming back from 2 sets down against Haas, helped Roger a lot !
And, I had no doubt that he would beat Monfils, I thought it would be more difficult though..

Yes, he is my favourite to win RG title this year, though it does put a lot of pressure on him!
When was the last time that there was only one player out of Top 4 was still standing in Qtr-Finals?

i cheer for RG as well because he is brilliant and this
guy does his homework a lot i think. I bet he has
a whole set of profiles on all the players and works
out a game plan for each player in his archives -well before each tournament. Swiss precison! thats why he has been
dominating for so long!! Hope he keeps his life simple and dont fall in with so much branding!!

He leaves nothing to chance and a great sportman as well and considerate to many!! Hmmm but can
be brutal as well.

still for me Marat is the best with the most beautiful tennis there is. Nothing like him and great personality!! Great Soul

Yeah wonder where some of the members are?? Natasha. I like reading Kennys post mainly Interesting and perceptive comments.

Dont know how long i will be here and survive wordsmitthing my post - thinking if i have written stupid things!! KInda hard
for me at times - being too obsessive maybe -hope i am not too dominating in this forum

And hope Marat Safin does not find that i am boring many - and him as well!! with all my posts. with all due respects!!

ismail, are you kidding? you are a very good addition to this Forum !
with you passion for Marat & Tennis in general !

thank you for this chat

Well Natasha thanks for the chat !!

Roger came through the tough match today - again !!

Now Roger vs Soderling Final - should be very interesting ! Come on, Roger !

ISMAEL! You're just you. It's ok. We get your passion for dear marat! Ay natasha! Been a frantic RG eh? Absolutely. Anyone think that Soderling plays like Marat? Anyway, clearly roger has been working on his serve and injecting some pace into his game throughout. It's been an excellent spectacle, all the new slow motion equipment. I hear wimbledon is pulling out all the stops too so i think next week is going so be outrageous...everyone is playing faster and hitting flatter, even the girls! Everything's changing and i feel that EVERYONE is beginning to bring their best games to the table. I think wimbledon is going to be wildly un predictable. Ok. Federer. Soderling. Game on!

Interesting!! My passion!!?? I just want this guy
to have some glass and silver before he
calls it a day!!

Close at St Peterburg last year!! Damn it. It
slipped past like a leaf in flight...

I might just be as the next train
ambling past....

Come on line more Kenny...Marat Safin needs all
of you guys stir up the world with words!!

Yep, I do, and it's interesting that Marat beat Soderling in 2 sets during practice matches at either Madrid or Rome..