In Praise of the Safin Factor
 

John Mcenroe
 
Wednesday, 22 June, 2005

Marat Safin may not be terribly keen on the strange grass of Wimbledon, but one of the finest exponents ever to grace SW19 rates him highly. John McEnroe was full of praise for the Australian Open champion after Safin's second round win over Mark Philippoussis, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.

"When he plays right and feels right, Marat can be awesome no matter what the surface," McEnroe told BBC Sport. "We saw that when he beat Roger Federer in the Australian semis. After his first round match here, he said that was the best he has played in the six months since his Australian win, and I can believe it. That was by far the best grasscourt match I've ever seen him play.

"Safin has had one of the best backhands up the line since he came on the circuit. It's a great shot. He's an incredible physical specimen, so strong and fit and moves extremely well. Today he didn't have all that many chances - no break points in the first two sets - but he took the opportunities he had.

"If the ball bounce stays true on the courts, he can beat anyone. But he has the toughest draw in the whole men's competition, and he needs to string together seven great matches. His next opponent Feliciano Lopez will be tough - he's crafty, a lefty, attacks a lot.

"Marat also has this issue with his knee, which is scheduled for surgery after Wimbledon. He's saying in the locker room that it doesn't feel right and I have to think that will become a factor down the line, because on grass that kind of injury makes you tentative. He has to exert mind over matter. But you know, he's a great character - smart, speaks about five languages, has a lot of personality and is a good-looking guy. If you know him, you've got to like him."