In The Zone with Marat Safin

There are many things to like about the 'Zone' series, both in terms of execution, and education. I like the way it has progressed gradually from an unknown player in Agustin Calleri, to better ranked players like Fernando Verdasco and Grand Slam champions like Richard Krajicek.

A common theme that has emerged is how even the lowest ranked players on the ATP tour have the game to upset the players at the very top on rare occasions. Their lack of success, though, has been due the limitations in their games which top players can, more often than not, utilize effectively.

Marat Safin—the center of attraction for today—is a different case altogether. At his best, he boasts one of the most complete games in men's tennis. A fluid and economical service motion, thundering bullets, a phenomenal backhand, and adept volleys. The limitation, of course, has been the proverbial mass between his two ears which has resulted in a great talent with a highly unfulfilled career. He also doesn't enjoy playing the game as much as those who have won five times more majors than him.

This limitation was, however, not a problem on Sept. 10, 2000, at Arthur Ashe stadium. Safin was just an emerging talent in men's tennis; not many people knew him. This included those at the transportation desk of the U.S. Open, because of whom Safin had to call thrice before he could get a car to the stadium.

Moreover, he was up against Pete Sampras, who was an established legend in the game and playing on one of his favorite surfaces with 20,000 noisy people rooting for him. He had won Wimbledon literally on one good leg and even though he had lost to the Russian two weeks earlier at the Canada Masters, he was always a different animal in the majors, as was proved during the tournament when Pete lost his serve just four times coming into the final.

Not many, expected Safin to win. Neither did Safin himself: He was just happy after his performance in the tournament, and in the knowledge that he had just got an autograph from then-President Bill Clinton before the match.

It was enough to get him in the 'Zone.'

Sampras realized this soon enough, when he failed to save a break point at 3-3 in the first set. So astonished was he after watching his first serve whistle past him that he stood stupefied for a couple of seconds, gave a humble look towards his support staff, and drooped away towards the changeover.

The barrage of powerful strokes continued from the tall Russian as Sampras was overpowered during the match. The broadcasters were dazzled at the way Safin was hitting winners from some feet behind the baseline—it was not that common before Nadal emerged into the scene.

Sampras himself was feeling helpless as the crux of his game was unsettled. Safin was spotting Sampras' serve accurately and hitting it with such velocity that Sampras was unable to place himself inside the service line. Most of the time he had to hit half volleys off his boots, and the crowd were applauding every possible volley that Sampras hit.

If Pete was losing the battle at the net, he was not comfortable at the back, either. Safin's two handed backhand was on fire, and Pete was being forced to impart twice his normal effort on his ground strokes just to match the speed generated from Safin's racket.

When Safin covered the first set with a deft volley, a sense of inevitability crept in at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sampras had lost the first set when he served at better than 78 percent, while Safin had lost just six points on his service games and was looking hungrier. There were still doubts about the Russian, though. Pete was Pete, and Safin needed to win two more sets.

The opening game of the second set cleared the remaining doubts as Safin went on cruise control. He sprinted out to reach for an extremely deft volley by Sampras and guided it past him for a winner. As if to play around with Pete, he shaped up to hit a monster forehand on the next point, and disguised it for a drop shot at the very last second to leave Sampras flat-footed at the baseline.

"The game is not that easy! It cannot be that easy!" exclaimed Dick Enberg.

To add salt to the wounds of an already injured Sampras, Safin hit a lazy backhand lob to complete the second set and cruised towards the third before nerves finally caught him up while serving for the match. He faced two break points in the entire match, and both were during his final service games. Sampras could convert none, as Safin completed one of the most astonishing Grand Slam finals ever witnessed by the crowd at New York.

“He played some of the greatest tennis. I give him all the credit in the world, and everything I tried he had an answer to. He reminded me, you know, when I was 19 and I came here and won here for the first time,” confessed Sampras during the presentation ceremony.

Safin was indeed Sampras of 19 that day. It is a shame, though, that he did not have Tim Gullikson as Sampras did when he was 23.

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It was interesting to watch the recording of this match, as I got to hear some interesting quotes which showed how shocked was the tennis world that day.

"He passed my serves better than anyone ever has." Pete Sampras

"I almost felt as if he was laughing at me." Todd Martin after his loss in the semis

"Safin almost knows that Sampras cannot hurt him. And that's a scary thought." John McEnroe

"Sampras is just one point away from a break point!" Mary Carillo

Q: "How did you return Pete's serve?"

[Long Pause] "You think I know? I don't know!" Marat Safin

Here is the previous article in the 'Zone' series on Richard Krajicek by Long John Silver.