Thu, Jun 24, 2004 page20

• Safin, Serena disagree on grass

  • AP
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  Marat Safin has an aversion to the grass at Wimbledon. In fact, he hates it so much he wants no part of the place.

  "I give up on Wimbledon," Safin said after losing to fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the first round. "This is definitely not the tournament for me."

  Safin's disdain for Wimbledon was in sharp contrast with the sentiments of Serena Williams, the two-time defending champion who beat China's Zheng Jie 6-3, 6-1 in her opening match Tuesday on Centre Court.

  

  Maria Sharapova of Russia returns the ball to Yulia Beygelzimer of the Ukraine during the first round of the Wimbledon Championships in Wimbledon, London, Monday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  "The most special thing is coming back as a champ," Williams said. "Win, lose or draw, it's just a great feeling to be defending champion at Wimbledon. I don't get that feeling at any other Grand Slam. I just get it here at Wimbledon."

  Former Russian president Boris Yeltsin, one of Safin's biggest fans, came out to watch him on Court 2. He left after Safin lost four straight games to drop the second set.

  From then on, things only got worse for Safin. He smashed his racket, swore at the umpire and put in little effort near the end of the 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (1) defeat.

  

  PHOTO: AFP

  "After a while, I just get bored," he said. "I lost completely motivation, and I give up."

  It was a startling admission from a player who is no stranger to controversy. At the French Open last month, Safin pulled down his shorts during a second-round victory over Felix Mantilla.

  Safin, 24, is considered one of the most talented and physically imposing players in the game. He won the US Open and reached No. 1 in the rankings in 2000. He got to the Australian Open final twice (2002 and 2004) and French Open semifinals in 2002.

  Safin reached the quarterfinals in 2001, but failed to advance past the second round in three other appearances. Tuesday's loss marked the first time he's been knocked out in the first round of a Slam since the 2000 Australian Open.

  While the swaggering 1.93m Safin would seem to have the physique and booming shots to win at Wimbledon, he insists he just can't deal with the footwork and low bounces.

  "I don't feel like I'm moving," he said. "I cannot move there. Every time, I don't know how it's going to bounce. It's like a real nightmare for me."

  Safin didn't say he won't be back at Wimbledon -- only that, from now on, he won't bother showing up early to practice on grass or play in warmup events. Instead, he'll just arrive a couple of days before the tournament starts.

  "I hate this, I hate this," he said. "I'll just practice a couple of days, then I play. I'm not going to waste my time on that know knowing I will not play well."

  Williams, meanwhile, has become so enthralled with her English surroundings that she's becoming a booster of the England soccer team and 18-year-old sensation Wayne Rooney. He has scored four goals to lead England to the quarterfinals of the European Championship in Portugal.

  "I'm a big fan of Rooney now and obviously [Michael] Owen and [David] Beckham, especially Rooney because he really saved the team, so I'm really excited," Williams said. "I can't believe I'm even talking the lingo here!"

  The nation's fixation with the soccer tournament has taken some of the spotlight off Britain's other sporting obsession -- Tim Henman and his annual quest to become the first homegrown Wimbledon men's champion since 1936.

  Henman, who has lost in the semifinals four times, survived a big scare before overcoming Spanish grass-court novice Ruben Ramirez-Hidalgo, 4-6, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-2.

  "I definitely sense with the way things are going in Portugal, there's a buzz about the general public now," he said. "It was good to have their support.
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