Gin
05-30-2005, 04:30 PM
Safin third upset victim Monday
By Andrew Bogush
Monday, May 30, 2005
Reigning Australian Open champion and #3 seed Marat Safin fell victim to an upset, just as Gaston Gaudio and Guillermo Coria did earlier Monday, the mercurial Russian bowing out to Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5 1-6 6-1 4-6 8-6.
The fifteenth-seed Robredo broke to 7-6 in the fifth when Safin double-faulted, then recovered from 0-30 to serve out the match, earning his second quarter-final berth at Roland Garros (2003) where he will face another Russian, Nikolay Davydenko.
"One of the best for sure, for the importance of the match," Robredo, 23, responded when asked where this victory ranks in his career. "I think it was very nice for me to win again here and being for second time in quarterfinals."
In a match that meandered through the first four sets, with neither player playing particularly well, Robredo and Safin combined for a terrific deciding stanza, which accounted for 68 minutes of the three-hour, 50-minute contest.
The speedy Spaniard converted his fourth break point to lead 3-2, only to hand his serve over with three errors. The duo then traded easy holds until Robredo's third lob winner of the match gave him a chance to break in that thirteenth game. He failed to capitalize but a beautiful forehand pass down the line provided a second opportunity, which culminated in Safin's second serve kicking wide off the tape.
"Maybe on the last games of the match, I was pushing a lot more, and maybe that's why I get the break," Robredo said.
At 7-6, Robredo seemed shaky after consecutive forehand errors, but Safin slumped from that point, ending the match with an errant inside-out forehand, his 73 unforced error of the match.
"I didn't feel playing really well because I think it was difficult," Robredo admitted. "But I think that I can play a lot better. Well, I'm in quarterfinals right now. As I told a few days ago, the important thing is to be on the second week."
For Safin, who also won the US Open in 2000, he fails to add the only Grand Slam he still wants to win.
By Andrew Bogush
Monday, May 30, 2005
Reigning Australian Open champion and #3 seed Marat Safin fell victim to an upset, just as Gaston Gaudio and Guillermo Coria did earlier Monday, the mercurial Russian bowing out to Spaniard Tommy Robredo 7-5 1-6 6-1 4-6 8-6.
The fifteenth-seed Robredo broke to 7-6 in the fifth when Safin double-faulted, then recovered from 0-30 to serve out the match, earning his second quarter-final berth at Roland Garros (2003) where he will face another Russian, Nikolay Davydenko.
"One of the best for sure, for the importance of the match," Robredo, 23, responded when asked where this victory ranks in his career. "I think it was very nice for me to win again here and being for second time in quarterfinals."
In a match that meandered through the first four sets, with neither player playing particularly well, Robredo and Safin combined for a terrific deciding stanza, which accounted for 68 minutes of the three-hour, 50-minute contest.
The speedy Spaniard converted his fourth break point to lead 3-2, only to hand his serve over with three errors. The duo then traded easy holds until Robredo's third lob winner of the match gave him a chance to break in that thirteenth game. He failed to capitalize but a beautiful forehand pass down the line provided a second opportunity, which culminated in Safin's second serve kicking wide off the tape.
"Maybe on the last games of the match, I was pushing a lot more, and maybe that's why I get the break," Robredo said.
At 7-6, Robredo seemed shaky after consecutive forehand errors, but Safin slumped from that point, ending the match with an errant inside-out forehand, his 73 unforced error of the match.
"I didn't feel playing really well because I think it was difficult," Robredo admitted. "But I think that I can play a lot better. Well, I'm in quarterfinals right now. As I told a few days ago, the important thing is to be on the second week."
For Safin, who also won the US Open in 2000, he fails to add the only Grand Slam he still wants to win.