Xemi666
Professional
Unexpected to say the least, Marat is much younger than Edberg and was playing profesionally until recently.
http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2010-11-07/5674.php
http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/2010-11-07/5674.php
Edberg beats Safin on the champions series
- Thread starter Xemi666
- Start date
joe sch
Legend
A great SV player like Edberg can beat anybody when he is on his game. This is one statement that is not a factor in tennis post 2000 since Federer and Rafa have been able to dominate without having to face any great SV players. Im waiting for some more great SV players to win slams again ... Edberg was one of the last greats as well as Rafter and Becker and a few others. Who from the post 2000 era has won a slam playing SV ?
Jim Hendricks
Rookie
Safin said he never played Edberg, but if I remember correctly, Safin beat him in the quarters of the US Open in Edberg's last Open, '95 or '96.
0d1n
Hall of Fame
According to the article they were playing ON CLAY. Good luck to Edberg serving and volleying @ 44 yo against a Federer/Nadal/Djokovic type player on clay.
Yes...I'm aware he made the final of the French. He had a good draw and was a good player...even on clay.
Still...if I were Safin I would drink less and "date" less before a match like this one...to avoid such embarrassment.
Edit.
Yes...it IS an embarrassment for a 30 yo pro who retired last year to lose to somebody that's almost 45 and has been retired for 15 years. If it would have been an exhibition ...fine...but in a tournament type setting...no way.
Last edited:
MichaelChang
Hall of Fame
Tennis has evolved, so do the players. There are reasons why S&V isn't popular these days. Good example is Federer, who started as a S&V player but changed into a baseliner/all court. So no, you won't see anyone winning a slam by doing S&V, not any time soon.
vive le beau jeu !
Talk Tennis Guru
nice result for edberg ! 
he still appears very fit...
he still appears very fit...
illkhiboy
Hall of Fame
Goran beat Edberg in '96, not Safin. I doubt Safin was even on tour then. I think he became pro in '98, and Edberg retired in 1996.
HBK4life
Hall of Fame
J
Jchurch
Guest
Goran won one in 2001 and Federer won his first slam serving and volleying.
illkhiboy
Hall of Fame
Very surprising, especially since it's on clay. I'm guessing Safin was off his game a bit. But if you think about it, Edberg is a pain in the a** to deal with. He's constantly attacking and probing - which is disastrous for any opponent who is lacking conviction in his shots. Safin doesn't like opponents who don't give him any rhythm; he found Santoro to be painful and Edberg can play a game with almost as much variety plus some added viciousness.
Yeah that's very smart. Safin plays best when the opponent tries to overpower him with baseline game and Marat is like "ok, my turn"
BHud
Hall of Fame
Seemed to work for him at the AO several years back if I recall. The TV cameras couldn't stop showing his box full of tarts he had drug in from the night before...classic!
Chris Rizutto
Banned
Dang I can't believe I missed that on TV. Anyone know if its available to watch anywhere. Its not on Youtube.
Safin sucks. He said he wanted to get as far away from tennis as he could when he retired and a year later at 30 he is playing in seniors tournaments. What a schmuck.
Safin sucks. He said he wanted to get as far away from tennis as he could when he retired and a year later at 30 he is playing in seniors tournaments. What a schmuck.
Xemi666
Professional
Yeah, S&V rules, mindless ball bashing like we have today is the sux!!11!!
No, seriously, I thought we had gone over that phase, I guess some people still live in the past.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
How many times do I have to say it?
A good serve and volleyer beats a good baseliner every time. Attacking tennis beats defensive tennis at the highest levels.
A good serve and volleyer beats a good baseliner every time. Attacking tennis beats defensive tennis at the highest levels.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Well, Sampras won the 2002 US Open playing serve and volley, and Philippoussis and Federer both made the 2003 Wimbledon final playing serve and volley.
Circular reasoning. If the S&V-er loses, you will simply argue that he is not good.
viduka0101
Hall of Fame
oh elder, we must never doubt you ever again
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Incorrect. You must be thinking of Goran Ivanisevic. Edberg lost in the quarters of his last US Open to Ivanisevic in 1996.
Safin didn't even play in his first US Open until 1998 (where he got killed 4, 3, & 2 by Sampras in the 4th round).
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Hmmm....really? Then how did Safin make the finals? :???:
bluetrain4
G.O.A.T.
Can we really take that much away from a Champion's Series result without knowing how seriously they are taking the match, how good of shape they are in, etc.?
Blake_for_GOAT
Banned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msmelVjUAgY
You must have missed this match. I doubt any serve and volleyer would have beaten Safin that day.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
You must have missed the other two times that Safin played Sampras at the US Open. Sampras destroyed Safin in straight sets both times, in 2001 and in 1998.
In 2000, Sampras's mind was more on his upcoming wedding a week after the Open than it was on playing a tennis match, especially since he had already broken the all time Grand Slam record a couple of months earlier at Wimbledon.
Justin Side
Hall of Fame
So true. No result that Safin has in a tennis match can surprise me. He's more up and down than a roller coaster.
Justin Side
Hall of Fame
Of course not.
THESEXPISTOL
Hall of Fame
LOL.. I can remember that
Here's one of them:
And here is another of his inside (russian)jobs:
Limpinhitter
G.O.A.T.
Proof that the "modern game" struggles against the "big game."
96 US Open
That would make Safin 16 years old at the time. Possible and if true is impressive if he got that far at that age.
That would make Safin 16 years old at the time. Possible and if true is impressive if he got that far at that age.
BreakPoint
Bionic Poster
Can that dress be cut any lower?LOL.. I can remember that
Here's one of them:
roundiesee
Hall of Fame
Marat must be the coolest tennis pro alive! Kudos to him! But in a way, a shame really, because we will never know how much he could have achieved if he had focused more on tennis and less on other "recreational" activities
BigForehand
Semi-Pro
LMFAO, link please?
jakemcclain32
Banned
Just imagine what McEnroe would do to him right now if Edberg beat him. Mac plays these champions series like it's a five setter with Connors at Wimbledon.
-Bobo-
Semi-Pro
Safin didn't turn pro till '97
IvanAndreevich
Legend
Sampras played very very poorly in this match. He definitely wasn't on his game. To use that match as an example of a baseliner beating a S&V player who is on top of his game is absolutely stupid. I'm not even a big Sampras fan or anything.
Xemi666
Professional
Proof that Safin is a headcase, and you like to troll.
abmk
Bionic Poster
I second this !
abmk
Bionic Poster
LOL, you are at it again !!
joe sch
Legend
Im not claiming that Edberg or McEnroe can beat Rafa or Federer today, but in thier prime, they could and would still be contending for slams against any player today.
Xemi666
Professional
So what you're saying is if two great players were competing today in their prime, they would be contending for slams. Well, no sh*t, that's why they are great players, you may as well claim that the sky is blue.
Xemi666
Professional
Not to mention that Bill Tilden (and I'm sure other players too) disagree. But of course, what does Tilden know compared to breaktroll?
joe sch
Legend
Not to mention that Bill Tilden (and I'm sure other players too) disagree. But of course, what does Tilden know compared to breaktroll?
Who is the troll ?
If you really understood the history of tennis and playing styles you would understand Bill Tildens teaching and beliefs. You should also look into the opinions of Budge, Vines, Riggs, Kramer, Gonzales, Laver, and many other respected greats that have played against all styles and seen most of the greats the last half century.
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