Why Safin struggles again?

[C_Urala]

I would agree with jmckinney if Safin was loosing easily. In reality, Safin looses but almost always with 6/7, 5/7 or 4/6. With the scores like that it's natural to believe in bad luck etc. Yet, he should improve something in his game. He doesn't have to tell about this something to us, but he has to have something to work on.
I'm not sure that this something is about concentration or dedication.
I think it's his tactical predictability.
While all comentators were saying during AO how wonderful his serve was, I almost always knew where he was going to serve his 2nd serve.
And other elements were also pretty much repetitive.
It's great when your game wins, but if your opponent has found his answers, you should ask new questions.

I hope, he'll overcome.

[PureCarlosMoyaDrive]

I really don't see how it's luck to take out Roddick and Agassi in 5 sets at the Aussie, not to mention a bunch of other big time players in 4 sets as well. Seems more like he was IN THE ZONE for Australia, and he's dropped off since then.

[C_Urala]

Actually, we CAN talk about luck in the match against Agassi. Two tie-breaks, any is commonly considered a lottery. Plus there was a suspicious ace in the second tie-break.
What we can NOT talk about is the lack of dedication. There's no such thing. I think his perfomance at AO and after it shows that he DOES fight in each match.

It's sort of a pun:
"Why Safin struggles again?"
Because, true to his words, he wants to be No1.

Whe does he lose? It's another question.

Funny, isn't it?

[pound cat]

Evidently (theguyfromeussia.com) he has hired a top coach (name unspecified yet) who's a clay court specialist and will meet with him in Estoril. He has always been determined to win RG, and he has the ability & training to become the best clay court player. A good plan for him.

[jmckinney]

nyu

i guess i just like the players whom you can tell are dedicated to the game. I enjoy the players who are they because they love tennis, not for the money, or the recognition but just because they simply want to be the best. Sure all of them want the money, but there are some players although not near as many as in the past that play hard every time out and that you can tell want to be out there just because it is a game that they love. Take Agassi for example, he loves the game and still wants to be the best or take the classic Edberg-Becker matches or McEnroe-Borg, Lendl-McEnroe, Connors, those guys were out there to win and be the best, not just show up and collect a pay check. In my opinion Safin plays to collect a paycheck, like so many others. I am actually starting to like Roddick because so far he plays because he loves to play and wants to be the best.

[Verbal_Kint]

jmckinney, Why would Safin need another paycheck? Wouldn't he get more/bigger paychecks if he won? Why would he get frustrated to the point of destroying rackets if he didn't care? Why has he made te effort to return after his wrist injury when the money he has already made is enough to rid him of money trouble for the rest of his life?

My answers to these questions are: because he wants to win and because he wants to play. What are yours?

Marnix

[ucd_ace]

Safin hasn't been helped out very much with his draws. After the AO, the only sign that he isn't getting his act together is his lost to Bjorkman. In Dubai he opened up against Federer losing 6-7 6-7, met Rodick at Indian Wells 6-7 2-6, and then Spadea in Miami 6-7 7-6 4-6. So, he lost to the number one and number two players in the world and you criticize him this much? There's a reason why they're up there, it's because they're supposedly better than anyone (even though I have Roddick). Spadea had a great run in Miami so you can't give him too much beef for that. This is like Tiger Woods having been in a so-called slump. He's really only played one bad set and that was his second set against Roddick since that match with Bjorkman. This is tennis; anyone can go out there and beat anyone on a given day (well, men's tennis... that's why we talk about it more than the WTA). You have to remember that at the AO we were so suprised that Safin was able to play at such a high level so early on and you're basically using the fact that he was able to for a week to gudge him as having problems. If he had lost early on in the AO this topic wouldn't have been talked about. Agassi hasn't even beat a contended with a top player since the AO and he's your poster boy for consistency (Coria on hard isn't a top player even though he's had a good hard court season so far).