Something More

Wow. Marat Safin had a win. Over someone that doesn't completely suck.

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Forgive me while I stumble and faint.

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I mean, sure, Robby Ginepri isn't exactly a worldbeater, but still... I think it's so sad that Marat has lost his competitive edge - that he's still on court but he's effectively retired from the game. I was looking for a big run for him this US Open series - to see him go out with a bang. Looks like it might be more of a whimper instead. Maybe he's afraid he'll love the game too much to leave if he plays well - or maybe that's just a major overdramatisation and he just doesn't have it any more.

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But that is so sad. Is this really going to be the last we see of Marat Safin... fading away in a totally forgettable manner, rather than going out with the fire and panache we're used to? Forgive me if I'm a little disappointed.

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Look at me, criticising the Safinator when he just had a win. You go, Marat. Have another win. Have many wins. Give us something to remember - well, something more, anyway. I don't think Marat Safin will ever be forgotten.

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On a completely different subject - I had a look at the rankings chart this morning, mostly to see how weird it looks to see a #3 next to Rafa's name - and I realised that I was totally right about del Potro and Roddick pulling away from the rest of the field. Forgive me while I indulge in some gratuitious self-congratulation. The one thing I can't work out is how Djokovic still has so many points on them - I think he's about two thousand ahead. Do the Masters Cup title and that good claycourt season he had really amount to so much more than what Roddick and, in particular, del Potro have done? Weird.

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Today's Results

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Western and Southern Financial Group Masters (Cincinatti)

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Gilles Simon def. Wayne Odesnik, 6-3 6-2

Ivo Karlovic def. Gael Monfils, 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-2)

Marin Cilic def. Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-3 6-4

Jeremy Chardy def. Tommy Robredo, 6-3 7-5

Radek Stepanek def. Viktor Troicki, 7-6 (7-2) 1-0 retired

Igor Andreev def. Nicolas Kiefer, 6-1 7-5

Benjamin Becker def. Martin Vassallo Arguello, 6-3 6-3

Nicolas Almagro def. Dudi Sela, 6-4 1-0 retired

Paul-Henri Mathieu def. Mischa Zverev, 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-3

Ivan Ljubicic def. Florent Serra, 4-6 6-3 6-4

David Ferrer def. Stanislas Wawrinka, 7-5 6-2

Jose Acasuso def. Lukasz Kubot, 6-4 6-3

Marat Safin def. Robby Ginepri, 7-5 7-6 (7-2)

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Rogers Cup (Montreal)

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Maria Sharapova def. Nadia Petrova, 6-3 6-4

Alona Bondarenko def. Marion Bartoli, 6-4 6-3

Agnieszka Radwanska def. Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3 6-3

Francesca Schiavone def. Amelie Mauresmo, 6-2 3-6 6-1

Samantha Stosur def. Heidi el Tabakh, 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-4)

Patty Schnyder def. Anabel Medina Garrigues, 6-2 6-1

Sybille Bammer def. Anna Chakvetadze, 3-6 6-4 6-2

Agnes Szavay def. Valerie Tetreault, 6-2 6-4

Aravane Rezai def. Alize Cornet, 6-4 7-5

Ai Sugiyama def. Iveta Benesova, 6-3 6-4

Roberta Vinci def. Stephanie Dubois, 6-1 6-2

Kateryna Bondarenko def. Yanina Wickmayer, 7-6 (7-4) 6-2