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Article from The Globe and Mail
Charismatic Russian Safin winding down career
Tom Tebbutt
Smouldering and combustible are two of the adjectives that have been used over the years to describe Marat Safin. Maybe not as frequently voiced but certainly more often felt, especially by women tennis followers, is the descriptive hunk.
The charismatic Russian, who turns 30 in January, is down to his last few tournaments before retiring at the end of the year.
On Friday, there was great anticipation at the China Open in Beijing as he attempted to follow up his best result of the year, a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Fernando Gonzalez in the second round, with a strong performance against world No. 2 Rafael Nadal.
In its account of the win over the No. 12-ranked Gonzalez, a wire service report used the phrase spurred on by a capacity crowd, including many adoring female fans, to describe Safins play.
He has always been a fascinating character, as often evidenced in his choice of hair length and/or facial hair. For the record, he has brought back an old look a goatee that is like the period at the bottom of his exclamation mark of a face.
Safin began the quarter-final match, on the very first point, with a drop shot that Nadal reached and was able to push over the net. Safin immediately obliged with a lob over Nadal that few players except the Spaniard would ever have chased down. But he did and somehow scooped the ball back with a forehand only to watch helplessly as Safin feathered a drop-volley winner.
A lovely start, but followed by four points in a row for Nadal that set the tone for the rest of the match.
Nadal was sharp and moving well, while Safin was error-prone and just not quite able to keep up.
Though he lost, he gave his squealing female fans, some raising pictures of him and others holding signs that read things such as We believe in Marat, what they were waiting for a ball angrily blasted out of the stadium at the end of the third game of the second set.
And then, for the man who one year early in his career smashed more than 50 racquets in fits of frustration, he did not disappoint. After missing a service return in the next game, he smashed his racquet down onto the court. That was followed by a purposeful walk over to his courtside chair to fish out a new frame from his equipment bag.
In the end, typical of the bon vivant Safin, a guy who enjoys a stiff drink and a satisfying cigarette, he shared friendly smiles with Nadal when they shook hands at the net.
Safin has now played 18 events in 2009 losing in the first round ten times and only three times, including this week in Beijing, managing to win two matches in a tournament. He is ranked No. 59.
He has been given a wild card into next weeks Masters Series event in Shanghai and then will finish his career at Russian events in Moscow and St. Petersburg before playing the Masters Series tournament in Paris the second week of November.
The man who famously had a self-described bench of three attractive blondes watching him get to the final of the 2002 Australian Open, will be greatly missed when he leaves the game.
Winner of the 2000 U.S. Open and dangerously close to becoming :-)-hit wonder in terms of Grand Slams, he managed to validate his professional credentials by winning the 2005 Australian Open, a triumph that included a sublime 5-7, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(9), 9-7 victory over Roger Federer in the semi-finals.
Safin has been circumspect about his plans after he retires, but there are rumours, his legion of female admirers will be pleased to learn, that he could make some appearances on the senior tour next year.
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