Only Safin can match Federer's brilliance.
- Thread starter War Safin!
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War Safin!
Professional
Okay - let's leave it at this prediction: Top 10 come French Open 2007.neo said:
War Safin!
Professional
Purely a disclaimer, Phil....nothing more!Phil said:
Rhino
Legend
Well he just rocketed back into the top 50 today, and he's gaining back his confidence with every tournament, just as he did in '05.neo said:Fanatical groupies like the author of this thread have immense problems accepting reality. Safin is #72. A very average player. Nowhere near Federer. Just learn to live with it.
War Safin!
Professional
No, no, Rhino - you don;t understand: he's merely 'average'...a 'shot' player...he's done! :mrgreen:Rhino said:
Rhino
Legend
No, actually in tennis the big achievements are: being ranked number 1 in the world, winning the davis cup, and winning grandslams.neo said:
Oh wait, Safins already done all of those things already!
Who else in the top 10 has mananged those achievements? Let's see, well theres Roger Federer...and....um....thats it.
Rhino said:
You take a player that won two slams sometime in the past, but is no longer anywhere near the top 10, and compare him to the current top 10? What current top 10, who have their carriers ahead of them, have to do with this particular "has been", or actually "has never been"?
Compare him to others like him, who won two (or more) slam titles sometime in the past but are no longer anywhere near the top 10.
War Safin!
Professional
neo said:
I like this guy - he's consistent, if nothing else.
neo said:
I love safin, but who knows if he'll ever recapture the form he had when he won the USO, or the lesser form when he won the O5 AUS. Regardless, though, I think that he may have as much "carrier" ahead of him as many others in the top 10. Safin is 26; Roddick is 24 or 25 (?); Blake is 27; ljubicic is 27; I think Nalbandian is 24; Davydenko is 25; Gonzalez is 26; Robredo is 24; Fed is 25. Baghdatis and Nadal are the youngsters in the top 10.
Safin is right in the mix, age wise, no more or less at the start or end of his career than most of these guys. Personally I think Fed is so injury free that he'll have a longer career than most, but the point being any one of these top 10 guys could still have lots of brilliant tennis ahead, and any one of them could be near the end of their careers, and the same goes for former top 10-ers like Safin and Hewitt and others who have slid down the ranks, and for the up-and-comers like Gasquet, Tursunov, Youzhny, etc. I think we're nearing the end of the Hewitt-Safin generation, but look at Blake, peaking at 27, or look at past champions like Jimmy Connors, winning in his doddering old age (in tennis terms), or of course the prime example of Agassi. You never know what these guys can do in their late 20s, so I wouldn't sell any of them short.
gabos said:
I agree, age alone is not the issue, but somehow looking at Safin today it is very hard to imagine him ever recapturing whatever form he once momentarily had. Anyway, Safin is a fine player, but he is nowhere near the best in this game. Isn't it amazing how his would be girlfriends in this thread actually believe (and try to force on others) nonsense like "Only Safin can match Federer's brilliance"?
Sometimes I think it's going to take something other than a two-wing power player to beat Federer semi-consistently. We in this generation are so conditioned to see the game as power and lines that we forget that it's not even the most important part of good tennis play. Probably a guy who matches with Fed is a guy with brilliant defense, movement, anticipation, hands and then solid shotmaking. In other words, a guy who wins with his feet, not just the ability to tear up lines.
Baghdatis72
Hall of Fame
malakas said:Damn!I want to see Nadal-Safin!!!!!!
and Baghdatis-Safin!!!!!!!!
Well the Safin - Baghdatis is happening if Safin beats Acasuso tomorrow
crazylevity
Hall of Fame
Safin is FAR from average. He saves his best tennis for the best of them...beating Sampras for his first, beating Federer on the way to his second in a match worthy of the final. All the topics on whether Sampras or Federer is the GOAT, and Safin has beaten them both! Who else can boast this?
superman1
Legend
Other than Nadal, I'd say Safin would give Federer the biggest challenge out of all the players out there today. 2004 Masters Cup, that was a hell of a tiebreaker. Beat Fed in the '05 Aussie Open. Then on grass, Safin's worst surface, Federer's best, he took Fed to a third set tiebreaker in Halle. Problem is, Safin isn't good enough to get to Federer in the draw most of the time. He only lifts his game up to its peak when he is playing against the very best of them, which means he usually gets beaten by the little guys.
Safin is sort of like Agassi, incredibly strong off both wings, except unlike Agassi his movement is very good. And that's IMO the reason an aging Agassi could never beat Fed.
Safin is sort of like Agassi, incredibly strong off both wings, except unlike Agassi his movement is very good. And that's IMO the reason an aging Agassi could never beat Fed.
Tennis_Goodness
Semi-Pro
He's good but he's not in Federer's league.
On his day he can trouble anybody but he's gonna be a footnote in Federer's story! A completely differen't type of player and will have a whole differen't legacy.
I like him but Safin will never be as good as Federer!
On his day he can trouble anybody but he's gonna be a footnote in Federer's story! A completely differen't type of player and will have a whole differen't legacy.
I like him but Safin will never be as good as Federer!
Some very good points here. Safin can't maintain form long enough to get to Fed in the draw.superman1 said:
And Safin is Agassi-like in a number of ways -- except that his shots have a lot more power and penetration, off both wings. Enough to consistently rob Fed of time, whereas Agassi's groundies can only do that infrequently.
illkhiboy
Hall of Fame
Rhino said:the mighty Henman
Henman also wins over Hewitt, Roddick, Agassi. Pretty cool to beat all those number ones. And he must have beaten some other number ones as well, like Moya, Rios?...somebody should check up on that. Perhaps Henman hasa record or something, beating all those current/former number ones. Agassi didnt beat Federer after Fed became number one, Roddick and Hewitt neither. See what I am saying? Tiger Tim got something in him.
I watched Safin very closely live this summer and he lost a match to a guy he should wipe the court with. He is a perplexing guy. I was hitting on a court beside him two years ago, and he seemed quite proud of the fact that his entourage of people around him cost him 50-75,000 a week to maintain.
I used to like Safin immensely, because he combined humanity and top level tennis. Now he is starting to fall back and doesn't have the same impact for me. I think he has probably had MORE fun, than all of the rest of the players on the tour with his bevy of women and his drinking and carousing etc... But it has caught up to him and it takes a huge effort for him to get the interest to move those candlestick legs of his around the court.
In short ,he is a bit of a joke now, and that is sad, because he had a lot of people thinking that HE was going to be the best of all time. Not many people thinking that anymore.
I used to like Safin immensely, because he combined humanity and top level tennis. Now he is starting to fall back and doesn't have the same impact for me. I think he has probably had MORE fun, than all of the rest of the players on the tour with his bevy of women and his drinking and carousing etc... But it has caught up to him and it takes a huge effort for him to get the interest to move those candlestick legs of his around the court.
In short ,he is a bit of a joke now, and that is sad, because he had a lot of people thinking that HE was going to be the best of all time. Not many people thinking that anymore.
War Safin!
Professional
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:Bjorn99 said:
justineheninhoogenbandfan
Banned
He is playing better now but he still loses to many matches due to mental lapses near the end, like late in the final set. Matches he plays well enough to win. He could be ranked in the top 10 quickly if he starts winning more of those.
ATXtennisaddict
Hall of Fame
Genius without hardwork is just that. Genius.
Genius with hardwork win Grand Slams.
Federer is the latter. He works hard, takes preparation very seriously. Yet he makes it look so easy that we forget all that.
Genius with hardwork win Grand Slams.
Federer is the latter. He works hard, takes preparation very seriously. Yet he makes it look so easy that we forget all that.
DashaandSafin
Hall of Fame
I heard Safin is packin.
chicagohpch
Rookie
War said:
By looking at the record, he doesn't own any body else either, except Nalbandian. I don't see how this record shows he is superior than Federer. The best you can say about him is he is as good as other top players, except Federer. He is NOT technically superior when he can NOT win games CONSISTENTLY. A few flairs here and there do not count, period.
Rafa's best friend
Banned
Safin will only win if he dumps all of his girlfriends.
The Grand Slam
Hall of Fame
Safin got further than Nadal in Madrid because...?
Safin had the guts (no pun intended) to play in Paris, too. topspinmonkey apparently "tore a stomach muscle". He probably saw his side of the draw and crapped himself.
Safin had the guts (no pun intended) to play in Paris, too. topspinmonkey apparently "tore a stomach muscle". He probably saw his side of the draw and crapped himself.
federer_nadal
Professional
dont forget that the last time his game was really on and by really on i mean that he lived and breathed tennis for 2 weeks without going to night clubs the night before the match he won the Australian open, beating federer in the semi in one of the most memorable games for me. Only because they are two of my favourite players, fed because of his brilliance and safin because i am like him (have a **** mental game). I believe and so do many people including commentators on that game that safin has the most natural ability (shots and stuff) but he needs to keep it together. You know he has trouble when in his blog it says something along the lines of "i was proud of myself because i decided not to go and have drinks at the night club with my friends the night before my match"
All in all i think he is a LEGEND. Not a tennis legend but a person who i would love to be like.
All in all i think he is a LEGEND. Not a tennis legend but a person who i would love to be like.
ShcMad
Hall of Fame
In my opinion, Safin is currently the best all-around player aside Federer. Safin has the versatility of being able to play on virtually all surfaces (except he claims grass is for cows). Safin has solid strokes off both sides plus some exceptional volleying skills, and not to mention his monstruous first serve and nasty 2nd kick serve with which he never double faults.
Aside his mental game, what he could do is improve his backhand slice. I always giggle when he hits bh slices. I think he knows it's his weak shot, so he rarely uses it except on the defensive. And whenever he does, it doesn't have much bite. During the match against Fed in AO '05, all of Safin's slices were going wide, long, or to the net
Aside his mental game, what he could do is improve his backhand slice. I always giggle when he hits bh slices. I think he knows it's his weak shot, so he rarely uses it except on the defensive. And whenever he does, it doesn't have much bite. During the match against Fed in AO '05, all of Safin's slices were going wide, long, or to the net
rounick
Semi-Pro
Right.
The thing about Marat is that,he's not exactly a pro,you couldn't really call him..
He's like the best amateur ever lived
,who occasionaly plays pros for money and is able to beat any of them.And I do mean any of them.He hates grass and then goes to the final in Halle and almost beats Federer.
And that's what makes him so lovable,along with the fact that he's a perfectionist (he almost never celebrates a win but smashes racquets all the time when losing),he's polite and a gentleman,he's not boring and robotic like most pros.
Plus his tennis is soooooo beautiful when he's on..
Yes, poor Federer. I am sure he would readily swap all his Grand Slam titles, all his Master Cup titles and all his other pitiful achievements for this single gargantuan "victory". I mean, after this, there is no doubt any more, Safin is better then Federer! Because Safin has just defeated the mighty Acasuso (after losing to Nalbandian), surely there is no way Federer can top that!
Safin is 2-7 against Federer. The matches Safin won were very close, while in the matches Federer won, Safin was blown off the court.I agree that Safin certainly has what it takes to blow Federer off the court.
federer_nadal
Professional
Right.
The thing about Marat is that,he's not exactly a pro,you couldn't really call him..
He's like the best amateur ever lived
He hates grass and then goes to the final in Halle and almost beats Federer.
And that's what makes him so lovable,along with the fact that he's a perfectionist (he almost never celebrates a win but smashes racquets all the time when losing),he's polite and a gentleman,he's not boring and robotic like most pros.
Plus his tennis is soooooo beautiful when he's on..
I think he makes tennis interesting. He is down to earth, funny and likes to hit the **** often, maybe he should become an aussy. But along with this he is one of the best tennis player, if not the best, to watch when he is on. And even if he is playing **** he is still good to watch as he can still hit some brilliant shots and you get to watch him scream and snap racquets. You cannot go wrong with this bloke.
That is the problem and why Safin is an enigma. Talent wise this guy can challenge Federer dare I say consistently but his problem is his inconsistency. The guy can look absolutely brilliant for two sets and then self-destruct for the next three and end up losing. Enigma.
tarkowski
Professional
Yep - saw that AO match as well and was truly impressed with Safin's play that day. Probably the only match I've seen Fed lose a bit of his grace, just from the sheer physicality coming from the other side of the court. Like you said, no time to set up and Fed just looked rushed. At one point, Fed reminded me of Nadal, pinned back about 14 feet behind the baseline. Just unreal. There were points in the match where I could see Fed raise his level, and I was thinking, ok, steamroll. But unlike the 05' US Open Match against Agassi, Safin raised his as well. Federer did not beat himself that day.
Anyhow... I'm really looking forward to a grounded Safin for 07' because it would make for some truly great tennis.
Rhino
Legend
What are you, like 10 years old? You're missing the point, I'm pointing out that there are very few things Federer will not experience at the top of the tennis world, I'm not suggesting he would swap his grand slams. Don't get all defensive - FEDERER IS THE BEST; there, feel better now?
Good luck to Safin, he did well to win the Davis Cup again.
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