Marat Safin, the next Sampras?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I started a similar thread before but it didn’t catch up. I assume that was because the title I gave it was misleading and not because of a particular lack of interest towards tennis by all of you straight dopers.

So, for all of you who didn’t notice it before, here it is the new and unimproved thread concerning the possible greatness that awaits Marat Safin:

Is this guy the next great one? Can he join the pantheon of legends were guys such as McEnroe, Connors, Borg, Sampras, Lendl and Laver proudly stand?

I mean, the dude has the size, the power, the speed, the serve, the return, creativity, resourcefulness, confidence and new found maturity. The only thing I found missing from his game was good volleying at the net.

And of course his win at the Open as a 20-year-old mirrors Sampras’s 10 years ago when he was 19. So, will he dominate this decade like Sampras ruled the 90s?

2

I think the jury is still out. He’s definitely exploded onto the scene in the past year or so. He has some room for improvement on his serve, and could possibly get better on net play (although he showed some flashes of greatness). But all in all, the kid is just 20, and if he continues to improve as much as he has recently, he’s going to be amazing.

Here’s my question about him–is he gay? I mean, it’s no biggie, but every time they flashed to his entourage in the audience, they would single out one guy, and made sure to announce SEVERAL times that he was NOT Safin’s coach, he was his “good friend.” I assume that means they’re in a relationship, but perhaps the announcers just didn’t realize how it sounded. Frankly, I hope he is, because the world needs more out-of-the-closet studly gay athletes.