Safin... so near yet so far....

When Federer and Safin start their 3 round match tomorrow, it would be a case of so near yet so far.....This could have been
a rivalry of decade, comparisions of Borg vs Mcnroe, Lendl vs Connors would have been obvious... but then again everything does not end up as a perfect script and tht is the beauty of the uncertainity in the mordern era sport!!!!

Rewind back a few years, september 2000... a young man from Moscow virtually dismantled the greatest player to have ever
graced the game of Tennis.Yes Sampras was on a decline but he had won his 13th grandslam the very year and he was only 27..
This was Safin's way of introducing himself to the world and what an introduction it was......Safin possessed an all round game, a game which made people mark him as a future champion all the way....Not only tht he was a character, a character the game needed......

The very next year a certain man from Swiss defeated the Greatest on the very court where he had written the greatest chapters of his tennis career. That man, as if he still needs any introduction, was Roger Federer.

A rivalry in the making.... ??!!!

Well things have changed a lot since then, Federer has gone on to be the owner of 10 grandslam titles, where as Safin only 2. It has not been the case tht these 2 guys have eliminated each other in a slam .There has been no rivalry of any sort. There has been only 2 meetings in the slams between the 2, Australian open final in 2004 which federer after a tough match and a semifinal in 2005 Australian open , which Safin won, in 5 sets, 9-7 being the last set score......tht says something abt Safin!!!

A lot was expected of Safin. He still probably is the most talented guy on the tennis courts, but talent is only half the thing....
It has been a case of lost oppurtunites. Tht dreaded word if.... if only ..... Well but then again there is no place for if's and but's.
Yes Safin had a few injury issues, he was away from game for long periods but he never showed the mental strength to bounce back strong..., sometimes watching him
play it looks some times as if he lacks a certain enthusiasm..

It would be rubbish to call his career as failure, he is only 26 and has 2 grandslams, not far away from Agassi at the same age......He can bounce back and
be one the greatest champions of this game, may be he could repeat wht Agassi did after his 29 birthday, it would be great for the game and it would out Safin at a higher place among the tennis greats, the place he so deserves........