Marat Safin is not vanilla
RUSSIAN STAR BRINGS HIS UNPREDICTABILITY TO SAP OPEN THIS WEEK
薩芬與眾不同﹐一點也不乏味!!
俄羅斯巨星為SAP 公開賽帶來不可預測的刺激感

By Darren Sabedra
Mercury News


The SAP Open had tried for years to lure Marat Safin to San Jose, not just because, when he's on, he can play tennis like few can. The San Jose tournament also wanted the Russian star because, well, how shall we put this?
Safin is ``kind of nuts,'' according to tournament director Bill Rapp.
SAP 多年來一直不斷邀請薩芬來參賽﹐因為當薩芬氣勢上來時﹐很少有人能擋得住。另一個原因讓SAN JOSE 對薩芬情有獨鍾﹐乃因為﹐怎麼說﹐嗯﹐薩芬這個人"瘋瘋的" ﹐SAP OPEN 主席 BILL RAPP 如此形容。

``That's where he and I have something in common, because I am a little crazy myself at times,'' Rapp continued. ``As much as (Pete) Sampras could wow people with his stroke, he was very vanilla. When you see Safin breaking rackets over the top of his head and screaming at the top of his lungs, that's what people love to see.''
"這是我跟他相像的地方﹐因為我自己有時候也是瘋瘋顛顛的。山普拉斯的強勁抽球常令球迷驚嘆﹐但他個性比較木訥(普通平凡)﹔而薩芬狂摔球拍﹑使勁吼叫種種喜怒哀樂的肢體語言﹐卻令人們著迷不已" 賽會主席 RAPP 忙著繼續解釋。

More than six years removed from his eyebrow-raising victory over Sampras in the 2000 U.S. Open final, Safin will make his San Jose debut Tuesday night at HP Pavilion against American wild card Scott Oudsema.
在2000年於美網公開賽決賽擊敗山普拉斯使世人括目相看之後﹐薩芬星期二晚上將在SAN JOSE HP 球場於SAP 首度亮相﹐出戰美國外卡球員 SCOTT OUDSEMA。

For Rapp, Safin's appearance will be the culmination of a lengthy recruitment. ``I have had my eye on him since he turned pro,'' Rapp said.
對RAPP 而言﹐薩芬出賽是多年努力爭取而來的豐收。他並表示"從薩芬轉職業之後﹐我一直關注他的一切"。

So, what took so long?

Like most European stars, Safin, who turned pro in 1997, had preferred to play closer to home at this time of year, waiting usually until shortly before the Indian Wells event, in March, to cross the Atlantic.
那麼﹐為什麼這麼久才邀請成功呢?
跟多數歐洲球星一樣﹐1997年轉職業的薩芬在這段期間偏好選擇離家鄉較近的歐洲賽事﹐等到三月大師賽 INDIAN WELLS 前才會前來美洲比賽。

But this year, Safin said, ``I want to be doing something else rather than playing in Europe. I haven't won a tournament for a long time, and I'm looking forward to doing it there.''
不過今年﹐薩芬表示"有別於過去一貫歐洲賽程安排﹐我想要有所作為。已經有很長一段時間我沒拿過冠軍了﹐希望能在SAP OPEN 有所突破"

Of course, in the post-Andre Agassi era of the SAP Open, it helped that Rapp had more appearance-fee dollars to throw Safin's way. It's unclear how much Safin will receive, but Rapp said he collaborated with the tournament director in Las Vegas -- the ATP Tour is there a week after San Jose -- to pool funds to bring Safin to both events.
當然﹐在阿加西退役之後的 SAP OPEN 給大會主席 RAPP 多一點預算來邀請薩芬參賽。我們不清楚究竟薩芬出場費金額多少﹐但RAPP 說他跟 LAS VEGAS OPEN 主席合作集資邀請﹐於是薩芬同意參加兩項賽事。 (LAS VEGAS OPEN 緊接在SAN JOSE OPEN 後舉行)

Why so much effort for a player who has won only one Grand Slam tournament since his breakthrough against Sampras and is ranked 24th in the world?

Because of all the players on tour, Safin, 27, might be the most unpredictable. He is capable of winning an event or losing in the first round, capable of keeping his cool or blowing up, capable of saying the right things or something outlandish.
為什麼要費這麼大的功夫邀請一個打敗山普拉斯﹐只贏一座滿貫(js:應該是作者筆誤﹐有兩個才對)﹐現在世界排名只有24的人呢?

因為巡迴的職業球員中﹐27歲的薩芬大概是最不可預測的了。他有本事贏冠軍﹐也可能跌破眾人眼鏡在第一輪淘汰﹐有時能整場酷酷的十分冷靜﹐有時又突然發火﹐另外他很有表達能力﹐語出驚人。

Part of the attraction, Rapp said, is the 6-foot-4 Safin is a ``good-looking guy. So he'll appeal to the ladies. (But) also he'll appeal to the guys, because he's a man's man.''
RAPP 又說﹐六呎四吋的薩芬之另一種魅力是 他的美貌。因此﹐他能吸引女性票房﹐不僅如此﹐男性球迷也喜歡他﹐因為﹐他是男人中的男人 (RAPP 主席﹐你.....你也太愛某芬了吧.....)

Safin is a noted playboy who acknowledges that he doesn't take tennis as seriously as rivals such as Rafael Nadal do.

If he did?

``I would quit, because I would get bored,'' Safin told the Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald last month. ``I don't think I would like to have the life of Nadal, and Nadal maybe doesn't like my lifestyle.
薩芬被公認為享樂主義者(花花公子)﹐他自己也承認並沒有將網球看得像NADAL 那麼重。
那麼如果他真像NADAL 呢?
上個月在澳網被記者問到這問題時 ﹐他回答 "我或許會放棄打球了吧﹐那太無趣了。我不可能過NADAL 那種生活﹐而NADAL 也不見得喜歡我的生活方式"

``I would definitely not change my lifestyle for anything, even to be No. 1 in the world for many years. I just want to live like a normal person. I don't want to be as -- how you call it? -- tunnel vision. It's not me.''

Asked about that quote a few weeks later, Safin said, ``Of course, I want to be No. 1 in the world. But I want to live and enjoy my life.''
"我不會改變自己的生活方式﹐就算拿幾年連霸世界第一來交換都不。我只要享受生命﹐過平凡的日子。我不要.....你們記者是怎麼說的 (記者曾經形容NADAL) 具有什麼企圖心的願景﹐那就不是我了"
當記者幾周後再問他先前的回答﹐薩芬說 "當然﹐我希望能成為世界第一。但是我要好好活著﹐享受生命"

Still, Safin has shown he can beat anyone, including Roger Federer. Safin won a classic five-setter against the world's No. 1 player in the semifinals of the 2005 Australian Open, then defeated Lleyton Hewitt in the final.

Safin was slowed by injury in 2006, but the year ended on a good note as he helped lead Russia to the Davis Cup title in December.
不管怎樣﹐薩芬證明給世人﹐他有能力擊敗任何敵人﹐就算ROGER 不例外。2005年那場精典的五盤半決賽大戰﹐他贏了ROGER﹐之後又在決賽打敗 HEWITT 。

Safin opened this year with a rain-interrupted, five-set loss to Andy Roddick in the third round of the Australian Open. That match had Safin fuming because he thought the court was too slick when play resumed. He also saw some calls go against him. Safin called it a ``very difficult'' experience. But, he added, ``I'm playing very well. I think I'll have my chance to come back.''

Perhaps he will turn things around this week. Safin, seeded fourth, could play No. 2 seed James Blake in Saturday's semifinals and No. 1 seed Roddick in the final Sunday.

``It's going to be very interesting,'' Safin said.
今 年賽季開始﹐在下雨中斷干擾中﹐薩芬不幸於澳網第三輪負於RODDICK。那場比賽下雨後大會要求球員繼續上場﹐薩芬因為場地仍然潮濕不滿大會安排而憤怒 抗議﹐他同時也看到有觀眾鼓噪要他別囉嗦﹐他承認"那是很不好的經驗"。但他也表示 "我打得很好﹐看到重返的曙光了"

也許這周他能揮別過去的陰霾﹐扭轉一切。薩芬﹐大會四號種子﹐有可能在四強與JAMES BLAKE碰頭﹐決賽再度迎戰RODDICK。

薩芬說 "這賽事勢必很有意思"