*Spoiler* Safin vs. Federer
- Thread starter ucd_ace
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alberto007
New User
Dear Forum Members: ESPN Latin America is showing most of the games. At the begining were all the latin players on TV and now, we have live the quaters, semis and finals of mens and women singles. What a match Federer and SAfin. Lets hope for a nother great match between Hewitt and Andy. I feel bad that you guys in the US can not see this live.
verdasco67
Professional
i just hope he destroys hewitt (if hewitt wins that is, which i hope not)
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
dgoran said:
but when did they start?
only in the 5th set?
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
Imagine if Fed goes on and wins the next 3 Slams. Being one point away from a Grand Slam? That'd be hard to live down. Steffi was like a game away in 1989. But, she never got to MP.
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
Fed might have to do more S-V ... will see.
not bad in this match, both came to the net pretty effectively.
not bad in this match, both came to the net pretty effectively.
hellworld400
New User
when the hell did ESPN2 start showing the match?
I was trying to follow it on the internet at the arab tennis channel, but was constantly having connection problems, so I mostly followed it on AO radio.
Then I just turned my tv at the end of the match on and saw that the match was on!!!!!!!!!! I'm so frigggin' pissed I didn't think to turn on the tv earlier....
I was trying to follow it on the internet at the arab tennis channel, but was constantly having connection problems, so I mostly followed it on AO radio.
Then I just turned my tv at the end of the match on and saw that the match was on!!!!!!!!!! I'm so frigggin' pissed I didn't think to turn on the tv earlier....
dgoran
Hall of Fame
Yeah till than I was on AO Radio + Jerky live Arabian Sports feed + AO website with live scoreboard.Marius_Hancu said:
One good thing is that at least we get a chance to tape it this afternoon at 2pm, probably edited 3 hour version of 4 and a half hour match but I will take what I can .
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
Think if Safin wins the Aussie, it will "Marat" a cover? Yeah right! Not with Superbowl Week. What a shame. This was clearly the sporting event of the year so far. This Aussie Open has been outstanding for quality of play.
Hewitt-Blake, Chela, Nadal and Nalbandian, Serena-Petrova and Serena-Sharapova, Sharapova-Kuznetsova, Agassi-Johnasson, and now this. Can the women's final and Roddick-Hewitt plus the men's final actually get any better?
Jeff
Jeff
Hewitt-Blake, Chela, Nadal and Nalbandian, Serena-Petrova and Serena-Sharapova, Sharapova-Kuznetsova, Agassi-Johnasson, and now this. Can the women's final and Roddick-Hewitt plus the men's final actually get any better?
Jeff
Jeff
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
Yeah, Steffi did win the Golden Slam in 88, but people forget how close she actually was to back-to-back GS's. She was a game away from the French Open in 1989, up a break in the third set and lost to Aranxta. Steffi claimed she got her period in the third set. Best excuse EVER!!! She went on to win the rest of the Slams that year, a forgotten fact. A game away from back-to-back GRAND SLAMS.
Jeff
Jeff
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
Yeah, sorry, I forgot Molik-Dport. That was a good one, too. This has just been an incredible Oz Open.
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
When do I no longer become a New User? What's the magic number? 100? I'm looking for Rookie status baby!
HookEmJeff
Semi-Pro
Ok, I have got to make an attempt at a power nap before work. How on Earth am I going to make it for Hewitt-Roddick tonight? Gonna have to down a case of Coke or Red Bull before that one.
hyperwarrior2004
New User
AAAA said:
I agree, Safin deserves to win this one after going through a player like Federer. He should come to the final with full confidence. When you beat Fed, you can beat anyone. Damn I miss the match.
Sign of a champion ...knows how to win even when statisticly shouldn't be...
FEDERER-SAFIN MATCH STATISTIC: Federer hit 22 ACES to Safin's 16; eight doubles faults to one; 72 winners to 65; 59 unforced errors to 60; Federer won 201 points to Safin's 194!
I've waited patiently since 2000 for this...nice present he gave himself...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARAT....
FEDERER-SAFIN MATCH STATISTIC: Federer hit 22 ACES to Safin's 16; eight doubles faults to one; 72 winners to 65; 59 unforced errors to 60; Federer won 201 points to Safin's 194!
I've waited patiently since 2000 for this...nice present he gave himself...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARAT....
Craig Sheppard
Hall of Fame
So for those of you who stayed up--did ESPN show the match in its entirety? It sounds like they didn't from the earlier posts... I fell asleep during Davenport/Dechy and when I woke up, they were showing NFL Live and cut over for like 1 min to the AO when Safin was up 5-2--then back to NFL Live, which is when I threw a brick into my TV and cursed all of Bristol, CT. Who does that? Ruins the match by giving you 1 min of coverage in the 5th set? ESPN can s*ck it.
hellworld400
New User
I don't think anything can top this match ...
It was difficult to root for either one of them in the 5th set in such a thrilling affair. Initially, I was rooting for Safin, not only because he is an underdog -- I felt it would be such a shame if he came so close but could not beat him this time around, especially considering that he took federer 20-18 in the final set tie-breaker at Houston's championship match, and in this match came back from 2 set to 1 down and 2 match points saved in the 4th set!
But at the same time, Federer has created such an unbeatable aura, seemingly confirmed with his convincing domination of Agassi, that I found it hard to believe he would lose.
Kudos to Safin though, for having great nerves in such a tight match -- but to Federer to rally from 5-2 down in the 5th set -- wow!
Question to those who actually got to watch the match: was Federer visibly having some physical problems in the 5th set? if so, what was the discomfort he was having? It sounded to me like it affected his service game -- his 1st serve % went way down...
I have got to say, as the posters above have remarked, that we've been treated to several spectacular matches from down under. I really don't think that the Roddick-Hewitt match can come close to matching this.
My prediction: Roddick in 4 sets (Hewitt must feel some effect of his long matches).
Safin and Roddick could be an epic battle as well, though the shot making qualities may not match the Fed-Safin battle. Safin prevails in the 5th against Roddick, I say (wish).
Oh, and watch BS for ESPN not to telecast this Fed-Safin match live, while the Agassi-Federe match was so anticlimatic
. May be these nimwits will give us a live broadcast of the men's final ....
It was difficult to root for either one of them in the 5th set in such a thrilling affair. Initially, I was rooting for Safin, not only because he is an underdog -- I felt it would be such a shame if he came so close but could not beat him this time around, especially considering that he took federer 20-18 in the final set tie-breaker at Houston's championship match, and in this match came back from 2 set to 1 down and 2 match points saved in the 4th set!
But at the same time, Federer has created such an unbeatable aura, seemingly confirmed with his convincing domination of Agassi, that I found it hard to believe he would lose.
Kudos to Safin though, for having great nerves in such a tight match -- but to Federer to rally from 5-2 down in the 5th set -- wow!
Question to those who actually got to watch the match: was Federer visibly having some physical problems in the 5th set? if so, what was the discomfort he was having? It sounded to me like it affected his service game -- his 1st serve % went way down...
I have got to say, as the posters above have remarked, that we've been treated to several spectacular matches from down under. I really don't think that the Roddick-Hewitt match can come close to matching this.
My prediction: Roddick in 4 sets (Hewitt must feel some effect of his long matches).
Safin and Roddick could be an epic battle as well, though the shot making qualities may not match the Fed-Safin battle. Safin prevails in the 5th against Roddick, I say (wish).
Oh, and watch BS for ESPN not to telecast this Fed-Safin match live, while the Agassi-Federe match was so anticlimatic
. May be these nimwits will give us a live broadcast of the men's final ....safin wins the match!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HOORAY FOR SAFIN!!!!!!!! one of the best matches in the AO
federer was getting very emotional throughout the match. You would rarely see him throwing his racquet to the floor.
im waiting for hewitt to win now to have a safin hewitt final.
HOORAY FOR SAFIN!!!!!!!! one of the best matches in the AO
federer was getting very emotional throughout the match. You would rarely see him throwing his racquet to the floor.
im waiting for hewitt to win now to have a safin hewitt final.
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
HookEmJeff said:
Add to that Molik's matches ...
Marius_Hancu
Talk Tennis Guru
hellworld400 said:
Friends from Europe told me he had problems at the beginning of the 5th and they expected him to give up, as he didn't look well at all ...
Kudos to both of them, very strong mentally ...
Marius_Hancu said:
i found Molik vs davenport a spectacular match.
For me, the awesome matches have been:
hewitt v nadal
hewitt vs nalbandian
safin vs federer
molik vs davenport
Also worth of mention are :
federer vs suzuki
nadal vs youzhny
Couldn't have asked for more from this years AO
edit: add to that a Hewitt vs Safin final
lemurballs
New User
the second coming of Safin. what a tremendous match.
davey25
Banned
It sucks I didnt get to see the match since I have to rely on tapes ESPN loans the Canadian station, or the ones RDS covers. LOL! I hope if Roger had an injury it wasnt a factor in the match however. Good luck to Safin in his 3rd Australian Open final, if he plays to his potential he should beat either Hewitt or Roddick.
We have to admit that since 2 or 3 years, some of the greatest tennis matches come from the AO, here are some exemples :
Roddick - EL Aynaoui 2 years ago
Safin - Agassi last year
Agassi - Johansson this year
Hewitt - Nalbandian this years
Hewitt - Nadal this years
Federer - Safin this year
and some women matches involving Sharapova, Davenport, kusnetzova, Molik, Dechy...
Perhaps it is time for me to migrate in Australia...
The show must go on !!!
Roddick - EL Aynaoui 2 years ago
Safin - Agassi last year
Agassi - Johansson this year
Hewitt - Nalbandian this years
Hewitt - Nadal this years
Federer - Safin this year
and some women matches involving Sharapova, Davenport, kusnetzova, Molik, Dechy...
Perhaps it is time for me to migrate in Australia...
The show must go on !!!
ty slothrop
Semi-Pro
AAAA
Hall of Fame
hellworld400 said:
At the end of the 4th set Federer called for the trainer. From what was heard through the c-our-t-si------de microphones Federer was having problems with his lower back (perhaps similar to the problem he had at wimbledon 2003 when he had on-court back massage). However in this match Safin was pounding his groundstrokes from left to right and vice versa making Federer do alot of running and expend much energy to keep his own shots deep against the much stronger hitter. IMO, only, Safin's overpowering game AND shot accuracy physically wore Federer down, there was no freak accident or unusual ungainly movement/twisting to cause cause whatever physical problem Federer had. If Federer did have a freak accident then I'd be one of the first to say 'Federer was injured' but in this match Safin's powergame broke Federer down.
