The Cincinnati Masters is one of the tournaments that Russian tennis player Marat Safin most dislikes. The 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open champion has come to Ohio 10 times—in six cases he was knocked out in the first round, the best result being the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2005.
Safin is a calm person who needs constant activity. Cincinnati and the state of Ohio in general repulsed him with his parochialism.
“There is nothing to do in Cincinnati at all. Being alone in Cincinnati… have you ever been there? Go and see how boring it is. More precisely, this is not even Cincinnati, but Mason. 25 miles from Cincinnati. Not that close,” Safin said.
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With Cincinnati, Safin also has one of the most unpleasant memories of his career. In 2006, Marat was involved in an accident there when a female driver crashed into his car. Fortunately, only Safin’s vehicle was seriously damaged, and he himself escaped with a slight fright thanks to the airbag.
“Masters” in Cincinnati in 2006, Safin began with a defeat of the Frenchman Gael Monfils (4: 6, 5: 7) in the first round. It was far from the best period in a tennis player’s career. The former racket player in the world was only ranked 74 in the ATP ranking and was trying to get fit after a series of injuries.
Marat Safin did not like playing in the Cincinnati Masters
Photo: Nick Laham/Getty Images
In Cincinnati, Marat immediately switched from singles to doubles. Safin and his compatriot Mikhail Youzhny knocked out the Czech-Austrian duo in the person of Frantisek Cermak and Julian Knowle (7:6, 3:6, 10:3) in the early stage, then dealt with Australian Paul Hanley and The Zimbabwean Kevin Ulyett (1:6, 7:6, 10:7).
In the quarterfinals, the Russians faced the Israelis Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich. A few hours after the game, disturbing news appeared in the media: Marat Safin was the victim of an accident near the hotel where he lived in Cincinnati. Safin’s car, after a collision with another car driven by a woman, allegedly broke down completely and cannot be restored.
The tennis player himself did not suffer much (although initially some sites wrote that Safin almost died) – an airbag was activated in his car. However, the doctors indicated the consequences of the blow: scratches on the face and suspicion of a slight concussion.
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Marat complained of occasional dizziness and mild nausea. However, Safin entered the court in a doubles match. Marat and Mikhail Youzhny lost to Andy Ram and Jonathan Erlich (4:6, 2:6). Certainly, Safin couldn’t show his best tennis on the court, although even in optimal conditions, it is not a fact that the Russian duo would have defeated the Israelis. Ram and Erlich played together for many years, winning the Australian Open in 2008 and reaching the last stages of the Grand Slam tournaments in doubles more than once. Initially, Safin and Yuzhny’s chances of winning were estimated to be low, thus relegation was the expected result. In any case, the result of this match was not that important, considering Marat’s previous experiences.
As for the status of Safin in this story, everything is more or less clear: after the results of the accident, the tennis player escaped with minor abrasions, bruises and slight dizziness. The ATP representative said that the accident was very minor and that Marat played the match without any problem.
Marat Safin in 2006
Photo: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images
But about the exact fate of Safin’s car, not everything is so clear. As a result of an accident, Marat’s vehicle was crushed and he had to be evacuated. At least that’s what the American media wrote with reference to law enforcement officials. Supposedly, the damage was so severe that it’s easier to scrap the car than try to restore it. At the same time, Safin himself during the US Open – 2006 claimed that everything was in order with the car, and the severity of the accident was generally overestimated.
– Tell me, you probably got into that accident after the defeat at the Cincinnati Masters out of depression? They say that the car was smashed to pieces, so it cannot be restored … And he himself could have been seriously injured, only the airbag saved …
“Yes, what an accident, my God!” They did something unimaginable in the newspapers, but nothing really happened. They collided pretty bad. And the car is fine, and I didn’t get hurt. Some kind of nonsense, honestly, – answered Safin.
Regardless of what actually happened with Safin’s car, the main thing is that everything was in order with the tennis player himself. At the US Open-2006, Marat performed quite well: he reached the fourth round, where he lost to the German Tommy Haas in the fight (6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 2, 2: 6, 6: 7). It was his best Grand Slam result until his retirement in the fall of 2009, if you factor in the sensational 2008 Wimbledon semifinals.
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Unfortunately, injuries crippled Marat’s career. The 2006-2009 seasons ended for him mainly with eliminations in the first and second rounds of the majors and the Masters, although this in no way cancels his status as one of the best tennis players of the early 21st century.
Safin’s primetime wasn’t very long, but it was extremely brilliant. Fans will long remember Marat’s cool game on the court, as well as nostalgia for his charisma and his scandalous off-site.
