Marat Safin of Russia acts as if he was taking off his shorts after a point against Felix Mantilla of Spain during their second round match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Thursday, May 27, 2004. The match was suspended due to darkness and is to resume Friday.
Safin Drops Shorts, Wins at French Open
PARIS - 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 third round Friday by winning a two-day marathon against Felix Mantilla, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (4), 11-9.
To celebrate a drop shot he hit for a winner, Safin grabbed his shorts, pulled them down to his thighs and leaned over. It appeared he wore underwear that remained in place, partially obscured by his long shirt.
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.
