Oh Marat, Marat…

My Dostoyevsky hero (aka Marat Safin) is out of the Australian Open. So much talent, so much passion, so much charisma…

…beaten 6-4 6-4 2-6 3-6 6-2 by Cypriot 15th seed Marcos Baghdatis in a thrilling second-round battle in Melbourne.

“Between the extended, attention-grabbing rallies, the thumps on the chest and the smashed rackets, it was quite a summit meeting for day four of a Grand Slam. But that was nobody’s fault but Safin’s. His ranking of 58 is not high enough for now to allow him the luxury of a seeding and the chance to work his way comfortably into the second week.

“I’m not going to give up straight away that I’m losing to Baghdatis,” said Safin, a Russian who will turn 28 later this month. “The year is pretty long, so I’ll have my chances, that’s for sure.” (Src)

(Photo: Reuters)