Helena Frith Powell

So long Safin

A couple of days ago after he was knocked out of the US Open Marat Safin retired from tennis. He is 29. Tennis will never be as much fun to watch again. I loved Safin. In a world where everyone is so perfect and determined and single-minded he was a breath of women-chasing, car-racing fresh air. And very sexy.

He has that rather Russian, Byronic manner; he sulks and loses his temper (he himself estimates he has broken 300 tennis rackets since 2005) and lets his emotions get the better of him. If Federer is the Mozart of tennis, then Safin was the Pushkin of tennis, or maybe the Heathcliff of tennis. But can Heathcliff ever be Russian? Anyway, if anyone can find his resignation speech online please let me have the link, I can’t find it. And talking of Heathcliff did anyone see ITV’s new adaptation of Wuthering Heights? It was really excellent. Made me want to roam the moors looking for my hero. But I hear he’s retired….

04 Sep 2009 helena

6 Responses to “So long Safin”

on 05 Sep 2009 at 12:21 am 1mimi

300 tennis rackets is a lot of breaking!
Did you get your award over at my place?

on 05 Sep 2009 at 11:04 am 2helena

Hi Mimi what award? Sorry what with journey and being back I am slightly dippy Hx

on 06 Sep 2009 at 12:55 am 3mimi

It’s ok- I left a comment in “a year and a month on..”, but then wondered if it was clear.
Anyway, if you go to my blog http://mimi-mimis-world.blogspot.com/2009/09/awards.html it’s there, waiting for you.
Sorry, I don’t know how to put a link on a comment, or even if it’s possible!

on 06 Sep 2009 at 6:05 am 4helena

Thank you Mimi! A lovely way to start the week over here in Abu Dhabi.
Hx

on 22 Sep 2009 at 9:39 am 5Deirde

Aw, he was supposed to retire last year but his manager offered him money he just couldn’t refuse. No resignation speech anywhere, but everytime he gets interviewed, ever since the opening of the season, they ask him again and again, cause that guy has an unbelievable charm even reporters want him to stay, they keep pressing the possibility of another year with Marat playing tennis.

Anyway, he’s gonna climb mountains in South Africa afterwards (like a Russian bear), as a colleague says (Djokovic) and his last tourney is Paris-Bercy at the end of November, 4 tournaments from now.

Source
- I’m a Safinholic.