Paris R1: Safin def. Ascione 6-4 4-6 7-6(3)

saving 3 mp

I was ROTFL when watching the scoreboard

Thank goodness for the serve... pretty much the only thing working. Great to see Marat thru, rather he loses to Juan than Thierry...

Now that is the heart of a champion. Playing like utter crap, but coming through. So proud of Marat. 24 aces.

Mugat the spartan :worship:

Marat is simply the man.

it was ten times more painful watching it live, keeping it tight with Ascione of all the people says it all, flying errors, serve saved his ass this time, happy that he can retire in a match against Del Potro

http://www.msnhiddenemoticons.com/Library/extra_large/glassy/default/i_like_you.gif

Did he want to win saving match points for the sake of drama? That BH to give Ascione two MPs was unbelievably bad.

Now that is the heart of a champion. Playing like utter crap, but coming through. So proud of Marat. 24 aces.

yep serving really well

I turned the stream off when he went down 2 match points :o

Now beat Pony boy :D

for the last time :woohoo:

:worship: :D Awesome! :cool:

long live to the russian champ :)

I wonder what it feels like to be down match points knowing it could be the end of your career.

3 times 1 point away from the end of ALL...omg...so proud...Now any result against Pony is bearable.

Thank God! Midway thru the third set I thought I wanted Ascione to win purely for the hilariousness of it. But when it came to the match points, I realized I wanted Marat to stick around for another day. Anyway, I thought he was playing great in the first set especially early on in the set. But everything seemed to go awry until he randomly fired 3 aces to save MPs. Good luck against Delpo Marat!

Ascione played some good stuff in the second, he's a good player, a bit of a wasted talent, looked unbreakable at stages in the third but Marat...dunno how he managed to pull through.

We've seen so many bad losses after being a set and a break up this year that this is the first where he has managed to get himself back out the hole and it could be the last.

This win is as sweet as any this year.

Thank you Dear Lord for procuring Marat with strength to cercumvent all the constraints!!!

No matter against whom, but for this Classically Emphatic "The Safin show"!:worship:

Yeah, the serve was awesome.

Had a huge meltdown after going 2-0 up in the 2nd, broken straight back and had to save his next service game from 0-40. Choked at the end of the set though, pretty much his norm these days, and looked like he would do the same at the end of the 3rd and give away the match. More huge serves though, good stuff.

By the 3rd set his groundstrokes had disappeared almost entirely, horrendous number of errors. Was pretty surprising he held it together in the tiebreak.

Well done Marat!!!

COME ON!

It was so scary watching him save those MP, knowing it could be the end - I can't even begin to imagine what that felt like for him. I'm just so glad he didn't go out in R1 to Ascione... way to fight Marat! and incredible serving (he obviously needed it)

Would have been disastrous to go out to Ascione. Take note that this could be his last ever ATP victory.

Marat :yeah:

now go lose to delpony boy and let your career be done. off the courts, sick of your playing. thank you.

Be great if he can beat Del Potro.

More heart attacks in Safin land... but at least he won. Big :hug: to you Marat!

Ascione really made Safin's forehand look lightweight for a lot of this match; Russian was just vulnerable in all areas of the game withstanding the numerous service winners he tallied up.

In post-match interview, Marat conceded that he can't move well anymore, definitley time to call it quits.

Chorus of fans cheering Safin drowned out the more patriotic support, not many seemed disappointed when Ascione couldn't convert the match points.

Thank god he won. Down those match points, I was thinking, Is this how it's going to end? To an old, fat French qualifier? At least now he will go out to a more worthy opponent.

haha yay

wow...

Keep it going Marat ;)

:woohoo:

Marat! :eek: :hatoff: :woohoo:

Ascione played some good stuff in the second, he's a good player, a bit of a wasted talent

whan a gem this post is

p.s.

Congrats Marat
put a fight against Del Boy

all 3 mps saved with aces

he could become dangerous after surviving a match like that

He'll go out in style for sure. lol. Why making it easy when you can make your fans bite their nails and commit suicide? Are you not entertained!?

Let me get this straight... Marat saves 3 MP's on his own serve at 4-5 in the 3rd AND wins a final set TB! :eek: What the hell?! Who is this impostor and what has he done with the Marat Safin that has been choking in final sets all year long?! :lol:
Nice fight, Marat. ;)

Well done Marat! A great comeback from 0-40. He showed nerves of steel

Lucky one, Marat...:o

for some strange reason i never felt marat would lose, it felt like destiny , like legend flirting with danger, it felt like some higher power wouldnt let him end his career that night.

Davai Marat :worship:

Please put a fight in your next match too!

Come on Marat, land a final coup on next round (or even later).

Good effort from Safin there - it's good to see some pride in there right at the end.

had a feeling of Deja Vu
oh no not again Marat gonna lose after a set and break up but phew not this time

at least now he wont go out to some complete joke of a player (eg isner :spit:.......they could meet in r3)

Vamos! Hopefully it will spark a deep run