US Open, DAY 2

Safin is where he belongs: ousted in first round
Also: Goldstein, Massu, Henman, Rusedski and Tursunov v. ATP

By Matthew Cronin, TennisReporters.net

Susan & Fred Mullane/ Camerawork USA

It was four years ago when Marat Satin was ready to conquer the tennis world. Now, the reaction is different.

FROM THE US OPEN – There's an opinion out there that Marat Safin is a much better player than his recent results, but he's really not. Yes, he's a big guy at 6-foot-4, has a lot of power off both wings and a good first serve when he's in rhythm.

But he is not that fast, nor can he simply blow the other elite players off court with sheer power. No player does that anymore because all the top guys know how to blunt power and have plenty of their own. Not only do you need huge weapons, but believe in your ability to lock and load at crunch time. Safin doesn't show enough self belief which is why, in this very mental game, the '00 US Open champion fell to Thomas Enqvist 7-6 (5), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round.

Why there continues to be an expectation that he should be consistently winning Slams is certainly befuddling. Since he upset Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi to reach the Australian Open final (where he fell to Federer) he's had a pretty mundane year. He really hasn't improved that much since 2000. He's a pretty average volleyer and is not an effective return of server. He fights hard when he feels he has chance, but he can certainly be exposed on the run.

Enqvist is a very good player who plays within himself. Safin is a very good player who has a hard time developing proper game plans. He denies he's the mostly physically gifted player in the game, or the most talented.

"Other people are very talented," Safin said. "Not one untalented player could be in the Top 10 or Top 20. Show me one untalented person. Yes, I'm one of them. But Federer, Roddick, Ferrero, Moya, Hewitt [are also talented]. Safin is still No. 13. There are bunches of other people who also have something great in their game or they wouldn't be there. Tell me one limited person who would be No. 1. You would say Hewitt. It's not true,. He has huge balls and it so great physically. Whenever it comes to an important point in a match, he makes the best passing shot of the year. Yes I'm part of it, but I still have to fight."

Safin says he's giving it his all, he just can't find a way to win sometimes.

"Believe me, I'm trying," he said. "I'm trying for myself, not for anybody else. I really feel bad when I'm not getting to the finals. The opinion of society really bothers because everybody is expecting me to win, because in 2000 I was No. 1 and won the US Open. I'm fighting, and pushing myself, but it's costing me."

GOLDSTEIN GRABS FIRST-ROUND MATCH
Paul Goldstein won't be retiring a la Todd Martin, not after he scored 7-6 (5), 6-2, 6-2 win over Japan's Takao Suzuki in the first round of the US Open. It's been sometime since the 28-year-old Goldstein had much to crow about, which is why he was force to qualify for the tournament. But the counter puncher hasn't given up on making more hay in the sport yet, even though being a Stanford grad should open a lot of doors for him.

"Tennis is rewarding in so many ways," he said. "Outside of the grind of the travel, I would have never gotten to see so many great places and met so many new friends if it hadn't been for tennis. Plus, in tennis, you get evaluated on a daily basis. You get to measure yourself constantly and are always striving to improve."

Other than playing standout tennis for the World TeamTennis Delaware Smash, Goldstein can't be too pleased with his results this year, where he has yet to win back to back matches on tour. But he keeps a good perspective and keeps his nose to the grindstone. On Friday after he qualified, he had to go back on court for the WTT semis. On the third point, he rolled his ankle and put his US Open at risk. He has no regrets about playing WTT.

"You make a commitment at the beginning of the season and you stick to it," he said. "But I was disappointed about then timing of the injury."

Speaking of World TeamTennis, controversy swirled around the grounds last Friday, when Dmitry Tursunov didn't show up to play for the Sacramento Capitals, for which he was the men's MVP. Tursunov was in the quarterfinals of Long Island that day. Tursunov – who won a five setter from Mariano Zabaleta on Monday – said that he had every intention of playing both Long Island and WTT, but the ATP wouldn't allow it. The Caps consequently lost to eventual champs Newport Beach. Apparently, the Caps brass was very upset with Tursunov. Further clarification will come later in the week.

Props to Britain's Tim Henman, who pulled another remarkable five set win, this time beating Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (3), 6-7 (7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Recall that at Roland Garros, Henman nailed two wins from two sets down. This time, he won a five-setter with a bad back. "Given my condition, that match was ideal for me because there wasn't a great deal of running to be done," Henman said."

MASSU ADDS TO HOT STREAK

Fred Mullane/Camerawork USA

Greg Rusedski blames the ATP in part for his first-round bouncing.

No. 10 Nicolas Massu of Chile returned to the courts for the first time since winning double gold in Athens and played excellent ball in taking down Jose Acasuso 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. Few have tabbed him as a tournament favorite, but it would be silly to completely count him out now. "I know I can have a good tournament here," he said. "But I also know that maybe I can lose in the second, third round or quarterfinal. Maybe I can win the tournament." Greg Rusedski is a very odd man. Now he's complaining that the ATP isn't helping him get wild cards and should do so because they wronged him by taking action against him for a positive test for nandrolone, a charge which he was later cleared of.

After he lost 4-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 7-6 to Cyril Saulnier, Rusedski hinted that he might take legal action against the ATP if they don't help him out this fall.

"The ATP have done absolutely nothing for me," the 91st-ranked Rusedski said. "They haven't kept their word whatsoever. Mark Miles says he doesn't have any control, but how can he not have any control over the tournaments? I've tried to talk to him but he says it's not his problem. It's time they got their act together. I've had enough of the way I've been treated."

Rusedski said his failure to get wild cards into Washington and Long Island contributed to his partly blamed his defeat by Saulnier, because was unable to get enough match play in. Rusedski said he requested the wild cards, but why would the tournament directors there turn him down, given how star-starved the fields were? Someone is stretching the truth here.