Any day that Marat Safin and Roger Federer are kicked out of a tournament is a bad one. And today Marat’s gone forever! Oh well, at least some people are happy after Wednesday’s Paris Masters. Julien Benneteau got his best win, ever. Rafael Nadal saved 5 match points. Marat Safin doesn’t have to play tennis anymore. Whoopee f’ing doo.
Here are the video lowlights/highlights:
Andy Murray is also through, taking out James Blake in three tight sets.
Tags: ATP, Djokovic, Federer, Murray, Nadal, Paris Masters, Safin, tennis, Video of the Day
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Lowlights, indeed.
A Fed loss always dampens the day for me, however slightly. But I know I can always come here for the match reports to see the postives and leave thinking, “What a great year he’s had!”.
PLUS as you said, at least they both got to party last night!
Glad I could ease your pain a little!
Seriously – the finals of all 4 majors? And winning 2 of them? To think what a big deal we make of Safin, when Roger’s accomplished almost as much in a single season.
But I’m still annoyed that Roger lost. . .to Julien Benneteau!!!
i know we should be grateful and happy with fed’s big wins and career milestones this year, but it does bug me when he loses and doesn’t bring his A or B+ game. i would probably have preferred he lose to a higher ranked player and not be out in his first match. i guess jb really had nothing to lose, so he just went for it and prevailed. bastard! i wonder if nole has temporarily zapped fed’s confidence a bit. like you said, i hope the rest of the top guys tire themselves out this week. not sure who to root for now. i’ll watch, but be somewhat disinterested. maybe it would be cool if someone not going to london won, so they can finish the year on a high note?
i was wondering if fed’s non stellar performance is related to the fact that he just played the final in basel and hadn’t played a tourny for weeks before that since the uso. maybe more aches and pains creeping in and slowing him down? maybe it just wasn’t his day.
I wish I were partying with Marat tonight, though at my age I know I couldn’t keep up with him. I heard Andre on “Fresh Air” today and with all his lapses what made me saddest was his reiteration that he hates tennis. I suspect Safin feels the same way. Even McEnroe wrote that what he always really wanted to do was play a team sport but his father knew better, I guess.(I don’t think Mac actually hates tennis.
Roger seems to be wandering into late career ambiguity, as all the greats did before him. He’ll get a couple more slams, then retire.
Um, Rafa’s through, right? Isn’t that cause for celebrating?
oh, Federer dearest, why, oh why are you smiling in this photo when you have lost? Don’t you know that my heart is breaking? I like your sportsmanship, but please, in future, do resist from smiling (in fact, smiling widely, almost breaking to a grin!) immediately after a loss (esp in 2nd rnd)….’coz it makes me think you’re not content with everything…so won’t put too much of a fight!
I meant to type ['coz it makes me think you're content with everything]….
This is going to sound bad…but I now hope Rafa loses really soon so that Fed can retain the no1 with less challenge. Sad & pathetic of me, I know
…but what can a fan do when her hero loses? hehe…am highly ashamed by such thoughts though.
It’s okay, Mary! It’s good to get it off your chest!
Rafa and Murray both had tough matches today like Roger but they found a way to win.
FF, I hope you’re right about Roger and Marat getting together tonight! That makes me feel better.
as good as Fed’s year was so far, to lose like that at the first match of MS is just pathetic… Fed said he was “on the mood to do well” in Paris but on court, again, he seemed lifeless and passive. that was very disappointing… i sure hope we will see a different Federer at the WTF.
Well, Murray and Nadal didn’t play against a Frenchman. It was hell out there.
I always liked Julien Benneteau, and he’s joined a pretty exclusive club! I’d rather Roger went out to a French player and an underdog than anyone else, say, an English player or a Serb!
you forgot to mention a certain sweet Spaniard
I was trying to be nice because he is such a sweetie, but now that he won today, I have to root against him!
Why? Why? Why? Bennetau just lost to Monfils, Why beat Roger if he is going to fold the next day?
i was kind of thinking the same thing and i was guessing benneteau wasn’t going to make it much further b/c he had to work so hard to beat rog in 3. sometimes it bothers me when someone upsets a higher ranked and more interesting player, only to lose the next round. i guess that’s how tennis goes.
I just checked the scores in the ATP, and I am shocked Stepanek beat Murray, just when I thought if someone can stop Nadal from bagging a 1,000 points Murray can do it and now…
Cilic defeat Verdasco…
I tought the ATP banner jinx only work on our Roger but, they just replaced Roger’s picture with Murray today, now what? DelPo…
Funny interview with Roger after his loss:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/8356450.stm
He joked he’s now a ‘clay court specialist’ after Roland Garros and tips Benneteau to win the tournament (and please, the people in the press room either are dumb or have no sense of humour!)
he doesn’t look too upset but Roger , WE ARE!