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Former No. 1 tries to find old form FROM THE COUNTRWIDE CLASSIC IN LA - Marat Safin shakes his head in disbelief when asked about his ranking. His voice is tinged with irritation. "It's fair. It's mathematics. We are where we should be. But for me, to have been in the Top 10 and No. 1, to go back to 97, it's kind of frustrating." Tuesday, Safin began to rectify the situation, handling Mardy Fish 6-4, 7-5 at the Countrywide Classic on the UCLA campus. Call it a baby-step towards rebuilding the Russian's confidence and regaining his Top-5 ranking. "You need matches and wins. … It's very simple but it's difficult to do," Safin said. "It is very difficult to take months off and come back and be able to get in shape. It takes a while." A serious knee injury sidelined Safin late last summer after the Masters Series in Cincinnati. He didn't play until Dubai in February, a layoff of almost six months. The Russian was forced to skip last year's US Open, and couldn't defend his ’05 Australian Open win. Safin's play and confidence suffered, and his ranking plummeted. Men's tennis isn't the same without Safin near the top. The current Top 10 has a handful of players that, while solid performers, certainly lack the Russian's pizzazz. Few players can match the Safin's star power, and fewer still can match the raw talent and power that he brings to the court. Looking back over the last few months, Safin knows he's getting close. A win here or there, a bit of momentum, and boom … suddenly a breakthrough tournament propels him back into the thick of things. "A lot of matches I should have won. In Rome 6-0, 4-1 up (against Ramirez Hildago in the second round). Hamburg. Wimbledon, up two sets to love with break points in the third (against Fernando Gonzales in the second round)..." Safin lets his voice trail off. He knows there is no use dwelling on those losses. But he also knows that, if history is any indication, the hard courts should provide the fertile environment Safin needs to get his game back on track. His summer got off to an ugly start last week, however, when an ailing Safin got bounced in Indianapolis early by a qualifier. ("Feeling much better now, no more allergies, I have no more fever.") But taking the court today, Safin appeared comfortable, healthy, and perhaps most importantly, focused. For those hoping to see a Safin resurgence, his focus and determination (as well as a healthy knee) could be the most encouraging signs. Given the sweltering conditions Tuesday afternoon, it would have been forgivable to see Safin's focus slip just a bit in the blistering heat. (Malisse anyone? Midway through his match Monday against Agassi, the Belgian looked like he had just wandered off the set of “Shaun of the Dead.”) Safin didn't let it affect him. In fact, he looked just as strong at the end of the match as he did in the beginning. It would have also been understandable for Safin to lose focus after three instant-replay rulings went against him, two on challenges by Fish. A well-known anti-instant-replay guy ("I'm not so sure about it," he said diplomatically after the match), no one would have held it again Safin to see him explode in a patented racket-bouncing rage after coming out on the losing end of three challenges, one which gave Fish double break point. But Safin kept his composure and shook it off. In the first set, both players held serve easily, until at 4-5, Fish blew a couple forehands to give Safin the set. Safin fell behind a break early in the second, but managed to break back and level the match at four-all. Fish's forehand, shaky in the first set, a total disaster in the second, betrayed him time and time again, and Safin eventually capitalized with the break at 6-5. Asked about his play, Safin responded, "For the first round, pretty good. I'd like to win another one." He'll get the chance in a double-revenge match against Gonzales. Gonzales knocked Safin out of both Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. © TennisReporters.net 2006  |
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