US Open: A champion goes down

I was watching the Open today and watched my favorite player in the draw, Marat Safin, go down in straight sets to Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 3-6, 3-6. The commentators noted that it must be tough for Safin to have all that talent and not be able to harness it all the time. I think Safin is secretly Jean Grey.

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Now the similarities are nowhere near those between Nadal and the Geico Caveman. But there is one key factor that makes this comparison valid. Both Jean Grey and Marat Safin have unlimited talent and neither has been able to harness it effectively. Instead they prove to be dangerous opponents every time they engage in battle, but nobody knows who will show up. Will it be Jean Grey, member of the X-Men, student of Professor X? Or will it be the Dark Phoenix with unlimited yet uncontrolled power and ability? The same Jekyll and Hyde presents itself with Marat Safin when he walks onto the court. The two time Grand Slam champion could be silenced at any moment by the self destructive maniac with no control of his emotions or forehand.


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I still think Safin has the most talent of anyone on tour, even more so than the Titan that is Roger Federer. Safin just cannot seem to keep a cool head when things go south. Opponents go from fearing the shots coming off his racket to the possibility of getting hit by shrapnel coming off his racket after it hits the court. I can only hope that Safin starts Tai Chi and/or meditation and comes back a new person in 2008. Fat chance.

In other US Open news, everyone is waiting for someone to challenge Roger Federer. That probably will not come until well into next week considering Federer's side of the draw is filled with wild cards/qualifiers. Depending on whether or not Novak Djokovic pulls out a five set victory against Radek Stepanek, Lleyton Hewitt might have an easier route to the final weekend. On the women's side, the draw is so lopsided that the second week should have a ton of great matches. I still like Justine Henin as the favorite. Serena looks sluggish. Sharapova's shoulder has not been tested and she's struggled against the top players. Venus looks good at this point in the tournament but she has not had much preparation for the Open.

Finally, Sharapova's dress is just ridiculous. I actually think that there should be some sort of dress codes. Now don't get me wrong, I like to see the tennis skirts like the next guy, but the light reflecting off Sharapova's dress has to be distracting to her opponents. I'm starting to like Sharapova less and less: her interviews are pretty boring, her game has broken down against the Williams sisters, especially in Grand Slams, and her dress plus black jacket with see-through sleeves is just a hideous outfit. Plus, she's definitely not as good looking as Anna Kournikova. I actually like Venus' new line of clothing so far and Serena has been less obscene than usual. Maybe it's just that I'm annoyed by Sharapova.