| ..:: ARTICLES ::.. | Colourful Safin talks about hippos, monkeys and zebras after loss
Wed Jul 28, 2004
DAN RALPH
TORONTO (CP)
The colourful Russian was a first-round casualty Wednesday, with German Nicolas Kiefer defeating the 15th-seeded Safin in a hard-fought, three-set match. Safin, who earlier this year expressed his disgust with Wimbledon (news - web sites)'s grass courts and at another tournament dropped his shorts during a match, was on his best behaviour at centre court at the Rexall Centre. But he quickly got off on a tangent during his post-game news conference.
Safin, the 2000 Tennis Masters Series Canada champion, was asked how he's different now than he was during his last visit here two years ago, when the reporter suggested the Russian seemed to be fighting himself a lot.
"I'm not fighting with myself," he said. "Oh my God, that's how I am."
Then came vintage Safin.
"You know the story about the hippo?," he said. "The hippo comes to the monkey and said, 'Listen, I'm not a hippo.'
"He said but he's still a hippo. He said, but look at you, you're painted like a zebra but you are a hippo. So then he goes, you know, like I want to be a leopard. So he put the colours on him and he comes to the monkey and said, 'But, sorry, you are a hippo.'
"So, in the end, he comes and said, 'I'm happy to be a hippo.' This is who I am so I have to be who I am and he's happy being a hippo."
Then Safin, the 2000 U.S. Open (news - web sites) champion, proceeded to translate his bizarre opening statements.
"I'm happy with the way I am, that's me, that's my tennis," he said. "I'm not fighting anything and I'm just trying to play and I'm trying to have fun.
"Sometimes I have ups, sometimes I have downs. But I'm trying, you know, to make my life easier and enjoy it but it's a difficult job."
Pro tennis might be a difficult occupation, but Safin is managing quite nicely.
He is presently ranked No. 14 in the world and came into this tournament having won $808,383 US this year. Over his career, Safin has bankrolled nearly $9.5 million US, which isn't too shabby for a 24-year-old who now calls Monaco home.
But Safin said he wouldn't trade places with Switzerland's Roger Federer, the top seed here and world's top-ranked player. Federer has won seven ATP titles this year, including the Australian Open (news - web sites) and Wimbledon, and has earned over $3 million US.
"No, I would not enjoy it," Safin said. "I will not enjoy his life, he will not enjoy mine.
"I like the life I have. It could be better, that's why I'm here and I'm trying to improve myself and I'm sure Roger also wants to be better in some way. Not on the court, he can't be any better on the court but he also, you know (has) the weak points."
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