| ..:: ARTICLES ::.. | Safin provides usual rollercoaster ride as he beats Grosjean
HAMBURG, Germany (AFP)
05.10.2004
The 24-year-old Russian continued his attempt to regain the pinnacle with a tempestuous 7-6 (8/6), 7-5 win over Sebastien Grosjean, the eighth-seeded Frenchman, who held two set points in the first set and led 5-1 in the tie-break.
Safin was not happy with his play despite his battling performance.
"Neither of us played well," claimed Safin.
"It was a pain in the arse to stay there and try to struggle. It was a nightmare to play this kind of tennis. He should have won that first set."
Safin nevertheless fought hard from 2-5 down in that set, playing out a large number of consistent rallies, broke back tenaciously when Grosjean was serving for it at 5-3, and produced a model point to save the set when he was advantage point down on his serve at 4-5.
But his frustration boiled over when he missed a chance to reach set point in the next game, sending a forehand drive into the net from inside the baseline, and putting a moderate return of serve into the net on the next point.
He hurled his racket down, cracking the frame, and just in case the umpire had not seen it whacked it against the net post right under the officials eyes. The code of conduct warning became inevitable.
He then played a model point to save the second set point at 5-6 in the tie-break, grabbed his first set point with a heavy serve, and broke Grosjean again in the final game of the match.
It was a patchy performance but by no means a bad one and Safin's self-critical reaction indicated the intensity of his desire to climb from his current position of world number 21.
It also suggested that the system of a 150 dollar fine to his coach for every racket broken, which Safin used to operate with Mats Wilander, will not apply to his new mentor Peter Lundgren.
"I can't change - I'm too old," said the 24-year-old, smiling at last.
He then cheered up as he began to talk about his fortnight-old professional relationship with Roger Federer's former coach.
"We don't know how it will work. I have to make sure I don't bother him, and he doesn't bother me," he said wryly. "But we will try to work together until Wimbledon and see what happens."
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