| :: FAN EXPERIENCES :: |  I have met Marat on two occasions.The first time I met him was in Sydney this year, then again at the Australian Open. I had always heard that he was gracious and extremely friendly towards his fans. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he would be as kind to me as everyone made him out to be. While I was watching James Blake train with a couple of girls I had met while watching Andy practise...we heard a couple of kids behind us talking about how Marat was doing an autograph session on a court near by. Getting excited we decided to go and check it out.By the time we got there it had just ended and we were pretty bummed about that as all three of us were huge Marat fans. Before I knew what was going on, Marat was standing in front of me and some lady had so nicely snatched my marker out of my hand and shoved it in Marat's face. He signed for her and once he was done, looked at me and asked if I wanted anything signed. I found the page in my book that I wanted him to sign and he started to scribble away. All the while the security guards were telling him not to sign and move along. The next thing Marat is like "NO" an continued to sign my book. Once he had done with me he continued signing for a few other people, by the time he had finished he realised he still had my pen and tried to give it back to me...but he couldn't reach, so he threw it to me and gave me a huge cheesy grin rolled his eyes and the security guards and apologized because he didn't get to stay longer. I met him a week later while I was watching Dinara's first round match at the Australian Open. My friends and I decided to get there nice and early to get a seat as it was on a smaller court and not that many seats were available. After getting a front row seat, my friend asked if I thought Marat would come and watch?! I didn't think he would but then again, you never know. Mother Safin turned up first...soon followed by Denis and this years ladies. Not long after I saw Anatoly making his way down my row and who was towering behind him?! None other than Marat himself. So I moved out of the way and left them get past...Marat ended up sitting a few seats away from me. During the match my friends kept on telling me to go and ask for a photo and I kept saying no. I didn't want to interrupt them while they were watching Dinara play. That would have been rude. At the end of the first set Marat and Anatoly left. Thats when my friend grabbed me and dragged me out of my seat. His motive - Not wanting to hear my whine for the rest of my life because I didn't get that photo. So after saying no about 400 times I was finally standing next to Marat. He was happy to get the photo taken and even had a bit of a laugh when we had finished. Once again he apologized proffusely as he had to get to training and that was it. I had the chance to meet him again the next morning at his training session but my friend was getting bored and we left before he finished. I now know why Marat has such a large fanbase. The respect he has for his fans is amazing, not just going on my experiences, but from the way I saw him interact with other fans while I was there. That man is truley a gentleman. Liz
Fan Experience From Lola: Davis Cup Final 2002
An unforgettable day...Before talking about the matches, Russia's superb victory, with Marat at the top of his field and Misha who fought with all his heart, here is what happened to me today(12/01/02)...I can't get over it, it's was so extraordinary !!! This morning I went down to the court side to watch Marat practice. It was nice, he never stopped laughing with Golovanov and Kafel and he teased Cherkasov's son. Well, after I met Mélanie (a girl from the french forum sport24), we decided to stay there for Safin and Grosjean's warm-up before the match, because we knew well that someone might ask us to take our seats, which were much further away ! ...But one woman (that I thank 1 thousand times) who works for Tsobadian talked to us and said that we could have the seats behind her(2nd row and just behind the Russian bench), until someone arrived...And the best part was that nobody arrived to sit there!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So I saw the 2 firsts set of Safin/Grosjean from the 2nd row...near daddy Safin who never stopped encouraging his son ("BRAVO MARAT! BRAVO!").. so yes, they say bravo in russian too! At least it sounded like that ! He was also whistling. Then the person who had tickets for the seat I was sitting in came, and I couldn't believe my misfortune, that I'd have to take my 'real seat'...but no, the girl who works with Tsobadian said to me that the seat by her side was free all day...So I watched the rest of the Safin's match and the 5th match, plus I was on the front row !!! It was really touching because Marat's mum was 3 seats along from me on thesame row and when his son marvelously beat Grosjean she cried so much! Dinara was the same. For the last match Dinara stayed and cried at the end too, but her parents were in the box. Safin's managers(Tsobadian and the woman) are really nice and they had given me the most beautiful present I could have dreamed of, plus Russia won ! On the front row it's fantastic because you can see extremely clearly, you can read the players' faces and what an atmosphere! I lost my voice by yelling "MARAT!MARAT!" , "MISHA!MISHA!" , "ROSSIJA!,ROSSIJA!" I understand that it may be difficult for you to believe me, it's even difficult for me, I still can't believe I was watching the matches from there....plus friends of mine sent me texts/SMS to tell me that I was on tv... NOW, let's talk about tennis ... SAFIN vs GROSJEAN : Safin was splendid, There are no words to describe his performance.The woman who works with is manager couldn't stop saying to him (the manager) and to me that Marat was playing an incredible match. Nobody could get over seeing him play at that level, especially in the 2 firsts set where Grojean was smothered... and what determination !
In the 3rd set he was broken and to his credit, Safin didn't crack up, especially in this unbearable tie-break. It was the great Marat. YOUZHNY vs MATHIEU : Oulala, at the end of the 2 firsts set I was thinking that in 30 minutes the French team will win their 10th Davis Cup .Paul Henri Matthieu was playing well and Misha was making too many faults. Anyway, when Marat came back from the locker room, a sandwich in his hand, he looked at the scoreboard and was shaking his head, meaning "it's terrible !" But Misha recovered and was great, he asked the Russian public to support him, he fought, he played very well, made some astounding points, he didn't crack up and wasn't nervous when he served for the match ! After the victory he went to the rostrum to see his loved ones and never stopped to cry. Bravo to the Russian bench who always supported Misha. Especially his brother Andreï, Golovanov, Geblov and Marat, who always stood up ( well after having eaten his sandwich lol ) to cheer for him after each point, whether he won or lost. From where I was sitting I saw Paul Henri Matthieu crying and it woke me up to how horrible he must be feeling. It was a superb day. Congratulations to Russia who had braved the journalists mockery during their preparation. We saw in the last match that they were a team too! I loved it when Marat forgot his rivalry with Kafel and hugged him. Bravo especially to Marat who is THE player of the week end I think he was almost perfect against PHM, very good yesterday without the end, and fantastic today, and of course the superb Misha Youzhny who realised an enormous dream! During the awards ceremony and afterwards, I was touched, very happy to see them (Marat, Misha, Zhenya) happy and smiling! Congratulations again and thanks to the actors of this superb day who will always stay on in my memory!!!!!!! VIVE MARAT ET MISHA !!! VIVE LA RUSSIE !!! VIVE LES MANAGERS DE MARAT !!! By LolaTranslated by Helena with help from Ruth
MY MEETING WITH MARAT!My first experience of going to the tennis was in '87 at Kooyong when I was little, and I was so put off by the arrogance and rudeness of tennis players who completely ignored the fans that I didn't bother attending any tournaments after that…However, I was persuaded by a few Marat fans on Sergei's forum (like Jacoline), that times have definitely changed for the better, and today's tennis players are a friendly, down-to-earth bunch, particularly Marat Safin! So, I was really looking forward to my first trip to the Australian Open at Melbourne Park, in January 2003. My main goal was, of course, to watch Marat play and give eyewitness accounts of my experiences to all the Safinettes on Christine's forum, Ruth's forum and the Yahoo! Group Maratsafinsland! So, I donned my journalist hat, and planned my itinerary, according to Marat's movements! Well, the first day of the tournament, I was watching Dinara play, and saw Marat seated on the other side of the court, next to Denis and the mysterious blonde girl, who looked eerily similar to his mum, Rausa! Anyway, because our seats were about level, it seemed like he was looking at me! He even started crossing his legs, identically to mine! Which, I'm sure you've noticed, he almost never does (he usually sits with his legs wide open)! Anyway, he was joking around with Denis, having a marvellous time, while Rausa was going nuts behind him, urging Dinara on…A fan (a very friendly Filipina girl) also jumped down from a row behind, straight next to Marat, and offered her zinc cream to him. He seemed very nice and friendly towards her, then shook his head, and passed the cream on to Denis, who applied it on his nose! Then, another fan from Perth (who I met through Sergei's forum) waved at Marat. She was dressed in Spanish gear, as she supported Robredo in the match before. Anyway, Marat waved back at her as if his arms were helicopter blades!! After Marat left, after the first set, Denis, the blonde girl and Rausa stayed behind. But Dinara lost the second and third set…She seemed terribly upset. She seemed to lose her confidence as soon as Marat left. Anyway, Marat looked absolutely huge and was wearing a blue adidas cap. He was joking and smiling, looking very relaxed. But I think he got a bit bored, and decided to leave…Soon after, I spoke to Lizzy who ran after him, got a photo taken with him and his autograph! Although I wasn't quick enough to chase after him, I did watch him play his first match at the Vodaphone Arena the next day, where he won his match against Sluiter. If you heard someone go, 'Woo! Go, Marat!" every single time he won a point, that was me! Anyways, I knew that Dutch contingent would be a problem (like the Swedes last year at the final), so practically all the girls in the front (some as young as six), were all screaming for Marat! I didn't get his autograph, though...I had no idea how aggressive six year old girls are! They were practically leaping all over the place, creating a bit of a crush... I did make sure I got his autograph two days later, after his match at Rod Laver Arena, where he beat Albert Montanes… This was his last match before he pulled out of the tournament with a wrist injury. I waited at the hotel lobby after the match - I knew this would be my last chance to get his autograph, 'cause he pulled out of an autograph signing the day before due to his wrist injury, and I had a feeling it might flare up again…So, while I was waiting, I got Daniela H's autograph, and Paradorn's autograph - both were really nice and down-to-earth…So, I was starting to get less nervous about approaching these tennis players! Then, who should arrive through the doors but our Marat, with Denis in tow! I asked him to sign my official tour programme, which he did. And then, I asked him if I could have my picture taken with him. He said, "Sure!" So, I asked Denis to take the photo! Then, I wished him Happy Birthday for next week, and gave him a birthday card. He looked surprised and said, "Thanks!" He looked very sweet and innocent - like a big kid. He was also carrying a pillow in his left arm, probably to support his wrist… So, I finally had a very happy day at the AO - thanks to the hotel, that is! There were no screaming six year-old kids with gigantic tennis balls getting in my way that time. Oh, his last match was really excellent, too! Very entertaining to watch - broke his racquet, and hit his head a few times...After he got an extra racquet from his bag and lost another point, someone yelled, "Break another one!" And sometimes, the only applause for Marat was from two people in his players' box - Anatoly and Denis! It was very close in the second set, and he was down in the third set for a while, but he soon came through! I also got Dinara's autograph, as she was leaving the stadium… So, Marat was definitely very kind to all the fans, and very polite! He loves his best friend, Denis, and his sister Dinara…I think he was bit uncomfortable though, watching Dinara while Rausa was at his back, yelling! Anyway, I felt very fortunate to have finally met Marat. But I also feel lucky to have met so many nice Marat fans around the world, through all the sites dedicated to Marat, like this one! So, I feel that just like Marat was awarded with an Order for International Friendship, he has also spread the spirit of friendship amongst his fans, worldwide. And I think that's the real blessing of being a Marat fan! ã EVELYN 2003
It was in April 2003, that Marat and the whole Russian team were coming to Argentina to play Davis Cup against my country Argentina. Of course I had tickets to go and see him play every day, and I was just over excited I would see my platonic love for the first time. The day they were supposed to arrive I got to know which was the hotel they were gonna stay, so rather improvised and with hardly any sort expectations of seeing him that day I decided to go to the hotel just for curiosity. At first I met a man of the Russian team who spoke only Russian what made it hard for me to communicate and get info about Marat. After an hour or so of wandering in the hotel and with no hopes of seeing him that night, I suddenly see a blond-headed man approaching the elevator followed by a tall, sexy man who had such a strong impact on me I could hardly breath. I can’t really tell what I thought at the moment, except that I knew Marat Safin was about to get into the elevator and I couldn’t possibly let him go! So I ran towards him, probably shouting like a crazy girl, and he immediately turned around. The moment he lay his eyes on mine I think was THE moment of my life. The funny thing, though, was that I asked him to sign my arm, which in Spanish would be. “Me firmas el brazo?”, yet he understood: “Me das un abrazo?” (can you hug me?), so actually that is what he did, he hugged me really softly but I then explained what I had really meant and so he signed my arm. Then I asked him to take a picture with me, which he wouldn’t deny and then I couldn’t leave the hotel without asking him a kiss. That was the sweetest kiss ever!!! The second journey was as magical as the first and it took place at River Plate Club, where the Davis Cup matches were to be played. When I got there Marat was sitting on a chair with his leg full of ice but i didn´t quite realize he´d injured his ankle until the following day that I read it on the paper. (This was actualy one ofthe "famous" unforgettable injuries that plagued him during 2003). Anyway, I tried to get as close to him as possible. Actually, I waited for him at the door of the court where all the press was. As soon as he got out, the first person he saw was me and i immediately showed him my arm (where I had his autograph) so that he´d recoginize me. He actually did!!! I took some more pictures with him and accompanied him to the football field where the rest of the team was playing. The seconds from the tenis court to the field were amazing!! The funniest thing about it is that a couple of days after this I saw myself in most of the sports news programmes in Argentina with Marat because the press had filmed us!!! I actually was able to record it!!! Everybody saw me and told me they´d seen me on TV with Marat Safin! God, am I lucky!!!!! Anyway, I had asked Marat to give me something, just anything that would make me remember him, whatever, a bag or a piece of paper....he said he had nothing and that he was sorry, but I was happy as he´s signed some more pictues. So he got into the football field but obviously he wasn´t playing ...I would not leave the club before Marat.....so I stayed outside the field watching Marat sitting on a chair and shouting sexy Russian words to his mates as they played.... About an hour or more had gone by, when they started picking up their stuff to leave. I went to the door of the field to wait for Marat, and as he was approaching me, the sweetest and most beautiful gesture was to take place. As he saw me, he stopped 10 meters aways from me and started looking for sth. inside his bag. Then he started walking again, with that unique style of his, and approached me (mind you, he approached me, it was not me approaching him! ) and so delicately handed me a "muñequera! (i don´t know the english word for the mini towel thing players use on their wrists) *sweatband*. I was like litterally melting and thinking "This cannot be happening!" After that, I took another picture with him and thanked him so much and told him I loved him and stuff. He was really happy too and belive he is the greatest because even if he´d just injured he beared me all the way and was really kind....if I had known about his injury i wouldn´t have been so heavy on him. Finally, though I had to let him go and that is what I did...I gave him a kiss and wished him the best and that was it for that day!!! The days that followed, I also saw him but there wasn´t any other close encounter......anyway, I shouted at him many more times that I loved him so I bet he still remembers that by now..haha... The whole of this experience has been really fulfilling and i have grown enormously as a fan since that moment. i feel so much closer to him, I understand him more. I think that having him so near me has made his charm and charisma penetrate deep down in me and he ´s definitely sealed a non-eraseable mark in my heart. And I am glad he did. Cause he elevated me to a subliamte world the days he was here. I can assure you all he doesn´t just fulfill all your expectations but he even exceeds them. All I can say, is I am looking foward to seeing him again, because these are the moments that make life so exciting and that really give a lot of meaning to your life. These turning points, you should embrace with all your might.
Agustina Cabrera from Argentina
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