From drop shots to dropped shorts, Safin keeps things interesting
By HOWARD FENDRICH, AP Tennis Writer
Yahoo Sports -- May 28, 2004
PARIS (AP) -- When Marat Safin's around, watch out! Not even he has any idea when he'll toss a racket, swat a miraculous shot, go off on a rant or ... lose a point for mooning the crowd?
Yes, Safin did all that and more on his circuitous route to the French Open's third round, somehow managing to both embellish and upstage his two-day, 4 1/2 -hour victory over Felix Mantilla that closed Friday with an 11-9 fifth set.
On an afternoon when two of the top 10 women lost, including a semifinalist from last year, this rollicking major did try to resurrect a bit of normalcy. Four leading contenders won in straight sets to reach the round of 16: No. 3 Guillermo Coria, 1998 champion Carlos Moya, No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo and No. 5 Lindsay Davenport.
Safin, though, kept everyone on their toes, including tournament officials who debated whether to fine him for two offenses -- and must have loved his thoughts about how they're ruining tennis.
``This point really deserved that,'' Safin said. ``Nobody complained. Everybody was OK.''
Everybody, perhaps, except chair umpire Carlos Bernardes Jr., who earlier warned Safin for throwing a racket (which drew a $500 fine Friday) and now penalized him a point (no fine, though). Safin argued, then sarcastically applauded the ruling.
``They tried to destroy the match,'' he said.
Davenport thought Safin's antics shouldn't have cost him a point.
``It was a little uncalled for,'' she said after beating Marissa Irvin 6-1, 6-4. ``He definitely wasn't doing it in a fit of anger. They're always telling us to lighten up, anyway.''
When Mantilla sailed a backhand long to fix the final score at 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 11-9 after 24 minutes of play Friday, the opponents hugged at the net. Safin was in a far worse mood after.
``All of the people who run the sport, they have no clue. It's a pity that the tennis is really going down the drain,'' he said.
A few minutes later, came this: ``They do everything possible to, you know, just to take away the entertainment. You're not allowed to do that. You're not allowed to do this. You're not allowed to speak whenever you want to speak. You're not allowed to do many things. ...
``Every year, it's getting worse, worse and worse. I don't know where we're going to end up like this. It cannot go like this anymore. It has to be a radical change.''
Grand Slam Committee administrator Bill Babcock understood Safin's concerns about keeping flavor in the sport -- while also noting that chair umpires need to keep matches under control.
``When it steps past passion, either to obscenity or unsportsmanlike conduct, the rules have to make a stand,'' Babcock said.
Safin, never shy about expressing his emotions on court or opinions off it, did assure everyone his sport will survive.
``No matter what happens, tennis is still tennis: You can see a lot of great matches, a lot of new people,'' he said. ``It's doing well.''
