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| Birthday
Blues or Starting Anew? |
by Denise Morris
27 January 2002
Today 27 January 2002 is Marat Safin's 22nd Birthday. Ideally
it should have been a day of great celebration - all the ingredients
were there. Highest seed left - previous Grand Slam winner -
opponent several seeds below - he would be nervous - so Marat
(unlike the last time he was in a Grand Slam Final) was the
favourite. The pressure was on him to perform - would he do
it?
He looked the picture of the perfect player - tall, muscled
and handsome, hair cut very short - all those rippling muscles
enough to cause any woman to catch her breath - whatever her
age. His opponent shorter, quieter and nervous though didn't
show it - the only sign a slight quiver of the lips - the only
noise the vociferous blue and yellow clad Swedish supporters
to spur him on.
The confident start to the first set - the break first game
and then closing out the set thanks to a nervous start from
the challenger - it all seemed to be going to plan.
Plan - what plan - the blue and yellow brigade didn't follow
that plan. They made more noise and spurred their player on
and Marat's birthday plans were falling into disarray.
All those brilliant returns were being undone - his backhand
normally the strong point - more errors than winners. Whatever
he tried somehow he couldn't unsettle the slight blonde man
on the other side of the net. His legs pumped and he ran back
and forth - but the challenger was the one who was getting the
reward - where was the justice? It was Marat's birthday - he
was supposed to win!
We all expected that fragile edge of his mental calm to crack
and splinter any minute. But somehow he kept reasonably stable
apart from an occasional slight rumble and an almost smash of
the racquet. The anguished mouthing to his bench "What
can I do - what must I do"? He didn't give up trying and
fought back in the 4th set to a Tiebreak and then it was over.
The face was set and the disappointment was there. But he walked
up and congratulated the winner and didn't show what must have
been his anguish at the end of what should have been a fairytale
birthday.
And then we all saw the Presentation - Marat with a new maturity
- a wonderfully gracious speech magnanimous in defeat. Thanking
his "family", telling his vanquisher to enjoy his
victory - smiling and acknowledging as the crowd sang "Happy
Birthday" - the better man won says Marat - even congratulating
the opposition coach and the blue and yellow sea of fans.
On that speech - Marat won the day. His opponent - the winner
- sounded flat after that speech. But the biggest winner was
the new, mature 22 year old who proved that he could take it
on his cheek and come back fighting!
In these first few hours - yes it is birthday blues but to me
the fact is this is the starting anew - this is the beginning
of Marat's year and it is going places. The man we have admired
for so long has grown up today. His tennis will get better and
better and he will attain new and better heights in this year
2002.
Don't despair - the temperament may have mellowed slightly but
it will still be there. But the newer and better Marat Safin
is going to thrill us beyond anything we ever knew.
The best is yet to come!
Denise Morris
Spain 27.01.02
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