12/22/2001 Moscow, Russia
Russian player Marat Safin and his Swedish coach Mats Wilander have agreed to continue working together for the first part of next year at least.
"I have just spoken with Marat and he said they had agreed to stay together at least through the Australian Open," Russian tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev told Reuters on Thursday.
"It remains to be seen if they continue working after that."
Last month Safin said that he would decide on whether to retain the former world No. 1 as his coach before the Australian Open which begins on Jan. 14.
"I'd like to continue working with Mats on a regular basis, but it's all depends on his availability," said the former U.S. Open champion, who had a disappointing season in 2001.
"The problem is that he is not always able to travel with me to tournaments, but I hope we can find a solution to it."
This year Safin was a shadow of the player that in 2000 won seven titles -- the most on the ATP Tour -- including a shock straight-set victory over Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open final.
But Safin said that the cool-headed Swede, winner of eight Grand Slam titles, has a positive influence on his temperamental nature. "It helps to keep me under control," he said.

12/20/2001
Marat Safin received more than 50,000 votes in the ATP tennis web site poll.
Marat Safin tapped the honor as the favorite player among fans, based on results from an ATPtennis.com poll.
The 21-year-old Russian received 22 percent or 50,324 of the 228,746 votes cast on the Web site. He edged out Brazilian Gustavo Kuerten, who came in second place with 38,886 votes or 17 percent of the total tally.
American Andre Agassi took third place with 14 percent, while Juan Carlos Ferrero claimed 10 percent and Pete Sampras rounded out the top five with 9 percent of the vote.
Safin, who ended the year in 11th place in the ATP Champions Race 2001, won two titles in 2001, in Tashkent and St. Petersburg. He has claimed one Grand Slam title in his career, at the 2000 US Open.

11/14/2001
Russian star Marat Safin who ended the 2000 champions race at number two in the world and was the winner of last years US Open title has been confirmed as an entrant for the Heineken Open 2002 scheduled for 7-12 January.
Tournament Director Graham Pearce said, "One of the worldпїЅs most exciting tennis players is coming to Auckland to take part in the 2002 Heineken Open and play in the Vodafone singles".
Safin, aged 21 is currently in 11th place in the year-end player race and this week on the entry ranking list is seventh, one behind fellow Russian Yevgeny Kafelnikov.
After overcoming injury problems earlier this year the Moscow native proceeded to put in some good performances in the big events. Safin made the quarterfinals of Wimbledon before being beaten by Goran Ivanisevic. At Indianapolis he reached the semifinals going down to Pat Rafter He then progressed to the semifinals of the US Open losing to Pete Sampras.
The following week he won at Tashkent and just recently made the semifinals of Lyon.
2000 was a marquee year for Safin as he won seven titles, including the US Open, and two Masters Series events - Toronto and Paris for a total of nine career titles. He also topped the list of aces in 2000 with 921 and is known as one of the hardest groundstoke hitters.
Safin challenged for the world number one at the Tennis Masters Cup in Lisbon in November 2000 after good results indoors in Europe and is tipped to be a future world number one.
Former world number one, Mats Wilander of Sweden, currently coaches him and is expected to travel with him to Auckland.
It will be SafinпїЅs second time to Auckland. In 1999 as an 18-year-old he played in the Heineken Open winning his first round over Gianlucca Pozzi of Italy before being beaten by Kiwi star Brett Steven in the second round.
The Heineken Open featuring the Vodafone singles and doubles will be held at the ASB BANK Tennis Centre in Auckland from January 7-12, 2002.

11/01/2001 Paris, France
An exhausted Marat Safin put a lid on a below-par season after a straight sets defeat in the third round of the Paris Masters Series on Thursday but warned he would return a better player next year.
The title-holder's 6-4, 6-4 defeat to unseeded Swede Andreas Vinciguerra, in front of a sparse crowd on Court One, was an apt way to sum up the year that has followed his 2000 U.S. Open victory.
The 21-year-old Russian was a shadow of the player that won on Centre Court at Bercy a year ago.
Safin had come back into form in time to win at home in St Petersburg last week but he admitted the effort had eaten up what was left of his energy.
"Today I couldn't put the ball inside the court. Today, I was just dead.
"Everything was just mad. I couldn't. Mentally I'm tired. That's the thing," he said.
He said his win in his homeland had taken its toll: "Too many people, too much going on around us. I just couldn't anymore, I just couldn't handle it."
A clear improvement in his form in recent weeks gave Safin an outside chance of taking the last spot for the Masters Cup in Sydney on November 12, but he said he was relieved not to be going. "This year, I couldn't make the Masters anyway because (Frenchman Sebastien) Grosjean has been playing too well. I had no chance," he said.
"It's okay that I'm not going to Sydney. Because I don't want to go number eight, the last one to catch the train. For me it doesn't make sense."
Before going on holiday, the Russian said he would have a talk with former world number one Mats Wilander, who has coached him this season.
There had been rumours that the two might part because the Swede did not have enough time to give to training Safin.
"We have to discuss things for next year and all these things. Today or tomorrow I will know my future," he said.
"I would like to improve something. I think we both know, so that's why it's important to sit and talk openly."
Hampered by injury at the beginning of the season, Safin said he aimed to feature regularly among the top five players in the world next season if he was fit enough.
"It is not the goal for me to stay number 10, number seven or even number six. For me the goal is to be in top five," he said. "Otherwise it's not interesting for me.
"I think it'll be alright if I start the year well. I think I have a big chance to be in the top three."

10/31/2001 Paris, France
Defending champion Marat Safin launched his bid for the remaining spot in the elite eight-man event in Australia, eliminating Slovakia's Karol Kucera, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-4.

10/29/2001 Paris, France
Marat Safin talk about his memorable moments in Bercy, home of the Tennis Masters Series Paris.
It's always good to play Bercy. I also like coming back to Paris twice a year, for Roland Garros and this. The atmosphere at this tournament is great. Spectators are interested in the game and the stadium is almost always full. That's why I like this event and also because I've always done well here. I was in the 1999 final and last year I even won it.
Why I succeed in this Masters Series? Simply because I feel comfortable. Like at home. It's really fun. And I love spending time in Paris, a wonderful city.
My best Bercy moment is undoubtedly last year's victory. It's when I became No. 1 in the world (after beating Ferrero in the semis). My Philippoussis five-set final was extremely tough. I split my eyebrow open during play, but I still have good memories from that battle.
The crowd is great. The venue is large, so there are lots of people. They come and watch, have fun. It's good for the game. They get involved and support the players a lot.
The Stadium holds 15,000. That's amazing. There were at least 10,000 people for the final last year. It gave me such a good feeling.

10/28/2001 St.Petersburg, Russia
A weary Marat Safin successfully defended his title in the St. Petersburg Open on Sunday, coming back to defeat Rainer Schuettler of Germany 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.
It was Safin's 10th career title and second this year. He captured his first title of 2001 in Tashkent last month, beating Yevgeny Kafelnikov in straight sets in the first all-Russian ATP final.
The 25-year-old Schuettler, who was playing in his third final this year, was broken in the first game of the match but broke back for 1-1 and again at love in the fourth game on his way to a 4-1 lead, with Safin smashing his racket in anger at one point. Schuettler saved two break points in the ninth game to win the set.
Safin drew even with the help of a break in the second game of the second set, then broke Schuettler in the third and ninth games of the final set to wrap up the match.
"Yesterday I played six sets and I was dead today on the court,'' said Safin, who reached the doubles finals as well. He was wearing a brace on his knee and was visibly tired.
Safin upset second-seeded Kafelnikov in the semifinals Saturday and beat fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Safin is 11th on the ATP Champions Race and the victory will improve his chances to qualify for the Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney next month if he performs strongly at the tournament in Paris next week.
"Of course I have to win there (in Paris), but how far the other players advance will determine that,'' Safin said. "It's really difficult. I probably have no chance to go to Sydney because it's not just up to me.''
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In the final in doubles Marat Safin and Irakli Labadze (GEO) lost to duo Denis Golovanov )RUS) and Yevgeny Kafelnikiov (RUS) 7-5, 6-4.

10/27/2001 St.Petersburg, Russia
Safin Prevails in Russian Showdown
He defeated Yevgeny Kafelnikov to reach the final in St. Petersburg
In an alluring match-up before some 10,000 spectators, Russia's Marat Safin served up 19 aces en route to his semifinal victory over countryman Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 in St. Petersburg.
"It was the first time we played in Russia," said Safin, who now holds a 2-1 record over Kafelnikov. "We wanted to show the spectators the best we could. We wanted them to remember this match. I think we both deserve a lot of credit."
In the match, which lasted about two and a half hours, Safin didn't let his first-set, tie-break loss affect his later performance: "He played really well, especially the first set," Safin said. "He played fast, too fast for me. I was a bit lucky. I played well the big points and fought like a dog. It's a great effort for me today."
Not only will Safin have an opportunity to defend his title, but the 21-year-old strengthened his bid for a spot at next month's Tennis Masters Cup in Sydney. Safin's now in 11th' place in the ATP Champions Race 2001, but a title win in St. Petersburg and a strong run at next week's Tennis Masters Series Paris could earn him one of the remaining slots in the eight-man Sydney line-up.
In Sunday's final, Safin will meet Germany's Rainer Schuettler, who dismissed France's Michael Llodra 6-3, 6-4. "I did a great job out there, I returned very well," said Schuettler, who is playing in his last event of the year.
This is the third final for Schuettler in the past six weeks. He won the title in Shanghai, and reached the final in Hong Kong, losing to Marcelo Rios. He defeated the top seed Juan Carlos Ferrero in the first round this week, and also stopped Max Mirnyi, the finalist at last week's Tennis Masters Series Stuttgart, in the quarterfinals.
Although the crowd is expected to be mostly swayed toward Safin in Sunday's final, Schuettler said it won't bother him. "It's a great atmosphere here. There are a lot of spectators, especially the weekend, but they are fair. I will have no pressure in the final.
"I was here last year and lost to [Safin] 6-3 in the final set in the quarterfinals. Now that I'm playing the final, for sure I will be back next year."
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In the 1/2 final in doubles Marat Safin and Irakli Labadze (GEO) defeated duo David Adams(RSA)
Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7-5).