The long, ragged farewell was brought to a suitable end
today. Marat Safin, 6-foot-4 champion of the past, lost his last match to a 6-foot-5 champion of
the future, Juan Martin del Potro. You might say a
torch was passed—both guys beat all-time champions at the U.S. Open as 20-year-olds to win their
first majors—except that I’m not sure del Potro is looking to pick this particular torch up and run with it.
But Safin’s loss was appropriate, and so was the manner in which
it transpired. As usual, he showed flashes of flowing brilliance, and as usual,
he couldn’t summon them at the very end of a tight match. For today, let’s
remember one of the exceptions to that Safin rule, the best match he ever
played, and one where he summoned his flowing brilliance all to the way into the 15th round.
If any match is worthy of a music-video treatment, if was
Safin’s 9-7-in-the-fifth-set win over Roger Federer, the man he called
“the Federer,” in the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open. That’s the treatment it
gets here, to the tune of the Who’s “Baba O’Reilly.” And once you get used to it, it does add a certain momentum
to these highlights. My favorite line from the song—“I don’t need to be
forgiven”—might even sum up Safin’s career as he walks away.
—Unlike most YouTube highlight reels, this one doesn’t show
entire points. It’s cut all the way down to the memorable strokes. It gives you
an idea of what these guys were doing best that day, and how many shots still
stick in the collective tennis memory from this match.
—On Federer’s side, there’s a drop shot that’s threaded so
finely it can only be described as vicious. There’s a shot-hop backhand pass
that could be sent off in a time
capsule as an example of his smoothness under pressure. There’s a skyhook
overhead, and an inside-out backhand return winner that seems to shock Safin.
And there’s the ill-advised tweener he tried at match point in the fourth set.
He didn’t need to hit it, and the choice cost him.
—On Safin’s side, there’s a half-volley drop shot winner that shows off McEnroe-like touch. There are numerous thudding backhands up the line,
culminating in the best of the evening, the one that brought Federer to his
knees on the final point. And then there’s the get Safin made and the lob he hit over
Federer to save that match point in the fourth set. Did we know he could run that fast?
—Safin’s confidence and determination grow as these
highlights accumulate. He has said that winning this tournament was very
important to him because he needed to prove to himself that he could take home a second major. He was never a guy who could keep that level of belief up for
long, but perhaps doing it this time was enough for him. He’ll always know that
he really was that good.
—The match reminds me of the del Potro-Federer Open final
in many ways. You have a taller, heavier hitter trying to batter through the
skinny, springy Federer and his wildly curving shots. In both of those matches,
as well as in the 2008 Wimbledon final, Federer almost snuck through a
match where his opponent was playing lights-out, only to lose in the end.
—Fittingly, this one ends on a high note. You can see some
exhaustion from both guys in the fifth set, but after nailing all those
backhands down the line, Safin puts the last one even closer to the corner.
That’s how accurate he was with it that day. Federer finally succumbed,
but he forced Safin to throw the final punch and literally knock him to the ground.
—I may miss Safin's handshakes the most. Win or lose, he was
always respectful of his opponent; he always realized it was just a game—in some ways, he was too gentlemanly. At first I was
surprised by his harsh reactions this week to the Agassi revelations. But then
he was always a guy who believed in the solidarity of the players, that it shouldn't be every man for himself. It makes sense that he would see Agassi as
betraying that.
Notice also his muted celebration here. It was exactly like his
muted celebrations after both of his Slam wins. He doesn’t want to revel in his
opponent’s defeat, and he knows that winning a tennis match is not the most
important thing in this world. That attitude might have hurt him as a player,
but it made him a favorite of everyone who played with him and those of us who watched him. He was
one of the guys. And in his “failures”—to master his nerves, to discipline himself, to live up to his potential—Safin was one of us.
***
There's more from me on Marat over at ESPN.com. Paris talk tomorrow.
Safin has always seemed like a guy that you would like to hang out with, and not just for all the hot girls that were always around him. It's sad to see him go, but nice to see him go out on his terms and not anyone else's.
Posted by BrooklynNY
11/11/2009 at 04:48 PM
"I may miss Safin's handshakes the most. Win or lose, he was always respectful of his opponent; he always realized it was just a game—in some ways, he was too gentlemanly."
Ummmm....... what?!?!?
Posted by luxsword
11/11/2009 at 04:49 PM
Thanks.
Posted by Asad Raza
11/11/2009 at 05:19 PM
What a stupendous match that was. Thanks for reminding us of it, on an appropriate day.
Posted by anonymous
11/11/2009 at 05:40 PM
"in some ways, he was too gentlemanly."
While this may not be the most obvious comment about Safin, I agree. Safin's sportsmanship has always been outstanding despite his temper tantrums. He got mad at umpires, rackets, the sky and mostly himself, but I never saw him take a swipe at someone weaker than him.
Safin's remarks about Agassi are also in character because Safin's always been (too) upfront about taking no bullsh*t. I don't think he's condemning Agassi's past, but telling him to put his money where his mouth is.
Posted by VC
11/11/2009 at 05:58 PM
Wish I'd watched this match live. One of the matches of the decade. I always seem to miss the best ones (apart from Wimby '08).
Thanks one last time for your marvellous writing on Marat. He will be missed.
I would only quibble with one thing from your post over on ESPN. Safin was a choker only these last few years. In his younger days, he quite often played like a champion in tight situations. As he lost the margin of error on his shots, his movement and his flexibility with age, he lost confidence as well. And confidence might be the greatest antidote to choking.
It shows how much credit Agassi deserves for playing well into his thirties. But he, too, lost a lot of tight matches in his old age. Pro tennis remains a young person's game. It will be interesting to see how Federer manages over the next few years.
Posted by skip1515
11/11/2009 at 08:34 PM
"On Safin’s side, there’s a half-volley drop shot winner that shows off McEnroe-like touch."
During today's match, commentators took Safin to task for "going for too much" on a similar shot. All I could think was, "No, sorry, you miss the point. He *could* make that shot. Just not so much anymore."
"Did we know he [Safin] could run that fast?"
Return now to that thrilling day of yesteryear, when all who watched paraphrased Jon Landau, saying, "I have seen the future of tennis, and it is Marat Safin", and know that at one time, yes, we did know he could run that fast.
Safin will "always know that he really was that good."
Perhaps intellectually, but not in his gut, at least not from all indications we got from watching him when he imploded.
At Pete's today I commented that both Safin and Agassi carried extreme loads of self-loathing. Agassi found a way past his, to my mind and as it appears from his memoirs, but Safin never did. Maybe the Russian's was less severe, but watching him today I was reminded of his apparent lack of enjoyment. By itself that's not a whole lot – how much enjoyment did Sampras ever show, for example? – but when he failed to execute Safin was merciless in his self-criticism. Maybe even cruel and masochistic, as if he never really thought he deserved the victories.
It was sad to see someone so uncomfortable with having to ply their talent. That's an unusual phrase, ply their talent, because it's usually applied to skills and not talent. But in Safin's case it fit; he looked like he was playing tennis because he was *supposed* to play tennis. As Olympian as he could be – and there were times he reached heights of incredible grandeur – he never, ever looked like he found any real satisfaction in doing so.
Here's hoping he finds something better in his next chapter.
Posted by Master Ace
11/11/2009 at 09:45 PM
Little did we know at that time, Marat went on to win the AO but did not win another tournament since and also that match prevented Roger from winning the AO 4 consecutive years(2004,2006,2007) as he was would have defeated Lleyton in the 2005 final. I thought Marat would be emotionally flat against Lleyton in the final but it was the opposite.
Posted by darthhelmethead
11/11/2009 at 09:46 PM
I've watched this entire match on youtube several times. It has to be remembered as one THE matches of the decade.
Posted by Useless safin articles
11/11/2009 at 10:23 PM
"Hey guys look at me I'm a tall "bad boy" I deserve all this unwarranted devotion... Sigh, the world is too small for a good-looking rebel like me... I'm so besotten I just have to scowl dramatically. You like that don't you ladies..."
Sure is a lot of masturbatory fodder about a generic tennis player who probably loves himself a whole, whole lot.
Posted by rgrace
11/12/2009 at 12:17 AM
That Safin challenge at Wimbledon is a howl. (Thanks Mirko337 for that Youtube link.) Of course he knew the shot was in. He was just trying to mess with Federer in a friendly way. I think Safin was a nonconformist and free spirit - the very opposite of a corporate robot. He was a freak and he will be missed.
Posted by nico
11/12/2009 at 12:19 AM
safin is one of the most memorable tennis players of all time...
so much to say... as it would be to explain the meaning of life... he made tennis look like life...
useless safin articles - i feel so sorry for you and your sarcasm, you must be a really sad person, wake up and live a little
"At first I was surprised by his harsh reactions this week to the Agassi revelations. But then he was always a guy who believed in the solidarity of the players, that it shouldn't be every man for himself. It makes sense that he would see Agassi as betraying that."
i was shocked but this has helped me see it another way.
Posted by Corrie
11/12/2009 at 01:38 AM
I saw that Marat-Roger match live at RLA. It was utterly memorable all the way. People forget that Roger got injured and had severe arm pain in the final set, plus foot trouble. I was thrilled Marat won and went on to win the final. I would never have guessed at the time that it was his last Slam victory. I still don't understand why he has played - relatively -poorly for so long now. Perhaps the knee surgery he thought about, but didn't have, might have been the way to go.
Posted by Corrie
11/12/2009 at 03:08 AM
Actually, on second thoughts, I think he did end up with the knee surgery after a lot of delay, but he still was never quite the same again, first the wrist, then the knee.
Posted by Slice-n-Dice
11/12/2009 at 03:38 AM
This is one fantastic read, Steve. A real pleasure.
I particularly like your reference to "the skinny, springy Federer and his wildly curving shots" -- perfect.
Posted by Jess
11/12/2009 at 04:15 AM
Well written. I like the fact that you did not over-analyze Marat's character. It's not easy - you're not Freud :)
(in one of his interview, he told the journalist who keep asking why, why, why - about his mental "I don't know, I'm not Sigmund Freud).
Even his sister said it was hard to understand her brother, she still did not understand him sometimes.
We 'fan girl' (whatever journalists would like to call - with or without contempt) just like him the way he has been on/off courts, just like you like your brothers, friends, you do not ask why (and of course, his look helps but admit it CK models are generally a lot hotter but not always as 'additive' as Marat) -- generally it's the total package that we like).
Posted by noleisthebest
11/12/2009 at 05:42 AM
Very nice final few paragraphs. Thank you.
Posted by noleisthebest
11/12/2009 at 05:48 AM
As for Safin's handshakes, I think you can switch to Nole's now. Safely.
Posted by Budour
11/12/2009 at 07:46 AM
""And in his “failures”-to master his nerves, to discipline himself, to live up to his potential-Safin was one of us.""
So beautiful, Steve. Thanks.
Though he wasn't one of my absolute favourites, Marat is a player whom I've always had a soft spot for. Will miss him terribly.
Posted by Sher
11/12/2009 at 09:32 AM
[He doesn’t want to revel in his opponent’s defeat, and he knows that winning a tennis match is not the most important thing in this world. That attitude might have hurt him as a player, but it made him a favorite of everyone who played with him and those of us who watched him. He was one of the guys.]
one of the things i liked about Safin as a fan :)
Thanks for the article Steve
Posted by frances
11/12/2009 at 11:45 AM
hi everyone
I have a question
Master Ace
if you are around?
what happened to teh TW posting?
The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Posted by: