Safin penalized for dropping shorts

Moondance

Safin penalized for dropping shorts; says tennis 'going down the drain'

Posted: Friday May 28, 2004 12:22PM; Updated: Friday May 28, 2004 12:23PM

Maria Sharapova's win over Vera Zvonareva is her second this month over a top-10 player.

AP

PARIS (AP) -- Marat Safin celebrated a particularly nifty shot at the French Open by mooning the crowd, which raised the question: What will he do if he wins the tournament?

The mercurial Russian advanced to the fourth round Friday by winning a two-day marathon against Felix Mantilla, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 11-9. The match was suspended Thursday because of darkness at 7-all in the fifth set and ended 24 minutes after it resumed when Mantilla sailed a backhand long.

Afterward, Safin was still annoyed about being penalized a point for dropping his shorts early in the fifth set Thursday.

"I felt it was a great point for me," the former U.S. Open champion said. "I felt like pulling my pants down. What's bad about it?"

To celebrate a drop shot he hit for a winner, Safin grabbed his shorts, pulled them down to his thighs and leaned over. The crowd cheered and laughed.

"Nobody complained," Safin said. "Everybody was OK. It wasn't like really bad."

He hitched up his pants with a smile, but it disappeared when chair umpire Carlos Bernardes Jr. penalized Safin a point. The Russian argued in vain with Bernardes and ITF supervisor Mike Morrissey, then applauded the ruling facetiously before play resumed.

Safin said tennis officials discourage making the sport fun.

"They tried to destroy the match," he said. "All of the people who run the sport, they have no clue. It's a pity that the tennis is really going down the drain. Every year it's getting worse and worse and worse. There has to be a radical change, and I hope it will be really soon."

A possible fine for Safin will be discussed Saturday, the International Tennis Federation said.

Top women's player Lindsay Davenport, long a paragon of tennis etiquette, agreed with Safin that penalizing him a point was an overreaction.

"I thought it was a little uncalled for," she said. "He definitely wasn't doing it in a fit of anger. They're always telling us to lighten up anyway."

Davenport, seeded fifth, joined Safin in the fourth round by beating American compatriot Marissa Irvin 6-1, 6-4.

No. 3 Amelie Mauresmo of France beat Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3, 6-2. Mauresmo and Davenport could meet in the quarterfinals.

Zheng Jie became the first Chinese woman to reach the fourth round in a Grand Slam event by beating Tathiana Garbin 5-7, 7-6 (1), 6-2. Garbin upset defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in the second round.

No. 18 Maria Sharapova defeated fellow Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 7-6 (3). Russian Nadia Petrova, a semifinalist last year, was upset by Marlene Weingartner 6-3, 6-2.

Petrova, seeded eighth, had five double-faults and lost her serve seven times. Her defeat guarantees a first-time Grand Slam semifinalist in that quarter of the draw.

"I'm very disappointed," Petrova said. "This French Open is screwed up. It's a very open draw this year. Anyone can be in the final."

Weingartner, 24, matched her best Grand Slam performance by reaching the round of 16. She lost to Petrova 6-0, 6-0 in their only previous meeting, which was last year.

"She's the type of player who can play unbelievable, and the next day she can play the worst," Petrova said.

No. 14 Paola Suarez beat Tatiana Perebiynis 6-3, 6-3. No. 21 Magdalena Maleeva eliminated American Meghann Shaughnessy 6-3, 7-6 (3).

In men's play, No. 9 Tim Henman reached the fourth round for the first time in nine appearances at Roland Garros by beating Galo Blanco 7-6 (3), 6-1, 6-2.

No. 3 Guillermo Coria beat Mario Ancic 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, and No. 17 Tommy Robredo defeated No. 11 Nicolas Massu 6-2, 6-0, 6-2.

Two-time runner-up Alex Corretja lost to No. 22 Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Safin, seeded 20th, played 41/2 hours over two days to advance. He finished with 101 winners but also had 117 errors, including 40 in the final set.

Mantilla had 36 winners and 40 errors.

"I tried to make it short," Safin said. "But I couldn't, because he was playing great. But I'm really satisfied that even in five sets I managed to win that match."

Safin reached the round of 16 at Roland Garros for the fifth time. He has yet to play in a French Open final.

Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/tennis/specials/french_open/2004/05/28/bc.ten.frenchopen.ap/index.html

What's next?

A tennis ball signed with a sharpie?

A cell phone hidden by the net post?

I think it would have been even funnier if he was wearing womens panties