—татьи

1

2.08.2004

Q. How did you feel today?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, it was good. It was, actually, for my first win in two months. So it was pretty -- I was pretty happy. I was a little bit nervous at the beginning, and then I started to feel better and better. A little bit I gain some confidence. And was good. Good win for me.

Q. Can you talk about your past few tournaments where you've had early exits.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, was like a little bit disappointing for me. I had chances, and I had I would say -- just I had a lot of chances. I couldn't take them. Even against -- last week against Kiefer I didn't play really my best tennis, but I was there, I had the opportunity in the second set. Like I had the set and 2-Love. I couldn't hold my serve. And then it started to be complicated, and then he started to play with more confidence. And he beat me. It was like third-set tiebreak is a lottery. So I was little bit unlucky. Also in Wimbledon was same situation, you know. So it's basically the first win from French Open.

Q. How important is it for this momentum?

MARAT SAFIN: Very important. Very important. Very important to win some matches and start to win, you know, to get the confidence back, and try to work on yourself, not to rush too much, and try to go for another one. I mean, it's so complicated to get the confidence back. So you have to, you know, to take match by match and go slowly because everybody's playing pretty well. And they have to be focused. It's tough conditions. So it might help me because I didn't play a lot of matches so, you know, I am a little bit more fresh than other players.

Q. It was a pretty quick win today. What was the difference?

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, he didn't -- I played like I had nothing to lose, so I tried to do my best. I was running, I was fighting, I was serving well. So I didn't make big change in my match. And then he didn't really play well. I mean, I have to be honest. He didn't really felt comfortable on the court. So it was a matter of making a break in the first set, and things would be much easier. That's why it went so easy in the second set. He couldn't find himself on the court basically, and I took advantage of it.

Q. What do you think of the tournament here?

MARAT SAFIN: It's a Masters Series. Great tournament. I mean, even to -- in such tough conditions, not really a big city, you know, for Mason basically; is not Cincinnati. People are still interested in it. It's good entertainment for them. I hope they enjoy it. Because this tournament is here for a long time, so it means that it's doing well. And a lot of kids. So it's quite important. I mean, if the people still come and still interested in tennis, it means that we're doing well.

»сточник: http://www.asapsports.com/tennis/2004cincy/080204MS.html

2

5.08.2004

Q. You had never played him before. How did you approach this match? You must have been a little bit worried to play him for the first time.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, it's a little bit tough opponent to play. No rhythm. I mean, he serves incredibly well. So I have to be really focused and wait for opportunities because for your chances.
So I had a chance in the first set. I had a few breakpoints. Then in the tiebreak just you have to be focus. There always will be one point if you will miss, or also the second serve, then you have to take advantage of it.
But it's kind of just one, two points makes a big difference in that match. So it was try to stay focus, try to hold my serve, and hang in there and wait.

Q. What are you the most happy of in your game?
MARAT SAFIN: That even that I stayed quite focused. I managed to return, I managed to have my breakpoints, quite a lot of chances to break him even though that he was serving well. I mean, five, six breakpoints, that's a big deal against him. And even though I couldn't take my chances, but I was there. That's a good sign.

Q. You had a bunch of breakpoints. We didn't see the point that you won, you got your break in the third set. I think he had already saved a couple. What happened?
MARAT SAFIN: Basically he made the double fault. But I don't think so. But they called it out.

Q. You seemed to have a lot of people cheering for you out there. Is that common for you in the early rounds, do you think?
MARAT SAFIN: I don't know what's common. If the people, they enjoy it, that's great. I don't think they're just cheering me they want me to win, they want to see also a good game. Must be like they like me, they like my game. I'm happy for them (smiling).

Q. Do the fans play a part in a match for you?
MARAT SAFIN: What?

Q. Do you find the fans play a part in a match for you?
MARAT SAFIN: It's kind of good to have some support. I mean, of course it's good. They are really into it. I heard some people, that they were.
No, it's good to have some supporters even though that there was a match on center court. And they were really, the people, they were really into it. I mean, not so many of them, but, still, they were really trying to help me and try to give some advices and supporting me. That's good. That's good.

Q. You play with some emotion and personality, obviously. Do you try to, to some extent, play to the fans and win them over?
MARAT SAFIN: Can you repeat that?

Q. Do you attempt to get the fans on your side by showing personality on the court?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I'm not trying. I'm just trying to win the match. That's my main goal. I mean, when you are winning, everybody's just they like it. I mean, the people, they really like the winners; they don't like the losers. So when you are playing well and your main goal to win, then you are kind of playing good tennis and feeling comfortable on the court and you have some great shots so the people, they love it. They always like to see some great shots. That's what it's all about, is entertainment. Is nothing else. Entertainment, sport. The people, they pay not just to see the boring match and just, you know, to kill the time. They're coming here and they want to see tennis great points, they want to see personalties, they want to see athletes fighting and all these things. So basically you have to give them.

Q. You've been up to No. 1, then you had some struggles and injuries. Do you sense there are a lot of tennis fans rooting for you to get back up there, they're cheering for you now?
MARAT SAFIN: Apart from that, also I'm doing for myself. I'm not doing for anybody else.
It's not so easy, though, to come back and try to come back strong and all of a sudden become No. 1 in the world. It takes a little bit of time. I've been out for quite almost for a year.
So I need to get used to you need to come back, first of all, to get the rhythm, to get the confidence back. Because sometimes if you are injured and you are a little bit scared, also it can break again, not just of the injury. So is little bit more mental, mental problem. Just, you know, like you have to get through this and you have to work harder because you lost already one year. If you didn't play for a year, you're losing that touch, you're losing the eye, you're losing the feeling, you're losing most of the things of the game.
And you need to bring it back, and then you can fight for No. 1 and try to do some great things on the court.

Q. What kind of things did you do to occupy your time during that year? Was it hard to find something that interested you?
MARAT SAFIN: Anything except tennis (smiling). Anything.

Q. Was it hard to come up with things that interested you?
MARAT SAFIN: Believe me, there are very interesting things in life except tennis. I mean, tennis is great. But also there is is not the only thing in life that can a person have. And, believe me, there is much more things than that. Tennis is a part of your life, a major part of your life. But if you are not playing tennis, there is plenty of things to do.

Q. Do you find motivation a little bit easier to come as you go along the week rather than first round?
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, the motivation kills what kills motivation? Kills if you lose in the first round, it kills the matches that you are fighting and you are trying as hard as you can and losing 7 6 in the third and then you are just like, you know, 7 6, 7 6. I lost to Bjorkman , for example, in Halle 7 6 in the third. I lost in Wimbledon tough match. I had the opportunity to win in three sets and I lost it. Then I lost to Kiefer 7 6 in the third. So how you can find the motivation?
I mean, motivation automatically goes away. Because you are trying and you are trying so hard that it's just killing you from inside.
So when you have the opportunity to win, then the motivation comes back I mean, with the matches and the confidence coming back. Once you have the confidence, you enjoy it more, tennis. You don't struggle any more on the court. You just go there and you play and you enjoy it because you can do things that normally you do playing good.

Q. Therefore, as you get to the quarterfinals, it's easier because you've got some wins?
MARAT SAFIN: Now we're talking about something. If you lose the first round, second round, it's not interesting actually. It's just basically you didn't achieve anything.
So if you're in the quarterfinals, it's already something that can become something bigger. Once you have quarterfinals, then ambitions, motivation, ambitions, they coming back. You want to achieve more and more and more.

Q. You don't know who you're going to play, but can you say a few words about Hewitt and about Henman.
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, it's gonna be tough match for both of them. I mean, Henman , he can play great tennis. Hewitt is always tough, he's always running, he's always fighting, and he gonna be there for as many hours as he need to be there.
I mean, against Hewitt it's little bit difficult just because he's all the time fighting, and you have to be there for 100 percent every game, every point, even though if you are winning he can come back from out of nowhere.
With Henman , the problem is that he can serve well, he has great volleys, and he has a very aggressive game. So you have to be pretty focused and take your chances basically like today.
There's one, two points that makes a big difference. He serves well. He improved a lot improved a lot. I mean, he can play from the baseline, he can go to the net. I mean, the volley, he's just one of the best now in these days. From the baseline, he improved. He can run with you. If you're not 100 percent, he will just he will beat you quite easy.

»сточник: http://cincytennis.com

3

6.08.2004

Q. You played a lot of good stuff but didn't quite get the result that you wanted. What do you think the main reasons for that were?
MARAT SAFIN: I didn't really felt today really good on the court. It was quite windy for me, and the balls became very small and they were flying, actually. I couldn't have вАСвАС couldn't put my game out. Like I didn't feel comfortable. That's why it was so many unforced errors.
For him was okay. I mean, his type of game, it suits this weather. I mean, he just have to put back and run. I mean, I have to create something, and today I couldn't. I didn't feel the grip, you know. Couldn't control the ball really well.

Q. What was the problem with your wrist?
MARAT SAFIN: No, just was a little bit too, you know вАСвАС taped too strong.

Q. Has that been a problem before with your wrist?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I'm just protecting it by putting all the time the tape, just protecting my wrist.

Q. You got a bad line call as well. Did that have much effect on the match?
MARAT SAFIN: No, not really. But just, you know, just any opportunity today would be great. I mean, 15вАСLove, 15вАСAll, just something, you know. Just wait and wait and wait. It was actually mistake. The ball was out. It was quite obvious. Not even close.
But I'm not blaming him. I just want to prove my point that вАСвАС anyway he gonna see it now on the TV, and he can see that the ball was out. So he apologize to me. But he thought that he was right and the ball was in. So just it was bad but just something, you know, I mean, you never know. 15вАС30, for me, it would be good today, some opportunity.

Q. Do you not feel that the match just hinged, as it often does, on one or two shots, the lob for instance that you made when you were about to break serve, just one or two points like that?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I mean, if will be вАСвАС if I could make a break back and it would be a little bit вАСвАС he will be a little bit more nervous on his serve because he knew that вАСвАС he would know that I can break him. But then he get the confidence, and he was serving pretty well.

Q. It must be frustrating to play him because he's just so solid, isn't he?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but that's his game. I mean, the best days, like when I'm playing well and the conditions are a little bit better for me and I'm more feeling like more вАСвАС I have little bit of more confidence, maybe less windy вАС I mean, for me to play in the wind is little bit tough вАС it would be different match. But today for him it was a great weather, perfect conditions to beat me.

Q. What is it like for you? Was it frustrating out there?
MARAT SAFIN: Not frustrating. But just, you know, like I couldn't finish the points and the balls are flying. So when I couldn't have the grip from the backhand, from the forehand, just a little bit uncomfortable on the court. But that's it, just small things here and there that creates whole different picture.

Q. Despite that, you don't look far away from the top group. Do you feel that, and what would it take to get there?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm not focusing on the ranking, I mean, how far I am, how many points I have, and what I have to do to be in Houston and all this actually bullshit story. Just is not most important thing for me. Just get back to вАСвАС get the confidence and hold the confidence for as long as I can. And just once I will get this, stay there for as long as you can and then squeeze everything what you can from this, you know, from the confidence. And then if I'm playing well, the points will come. I will not be struggling, you know, being 7th, being 8th, being 10th or we're going to talk about different numbers already. That's my goal. I mean, once I will start to play well, confidence, and then big tournaments is coming вАС US Open , we have Olympics still, we have points there. Then we have two Masters Series in Paris and then Madrid .

Q. Do you sense there are a lot of people, spectators, media, who actually want you to do that because you're good for the game?
MARAT SAFIN: Thank you. I'm also trying. I'm trying. Is not so easy. Is really it's just very complicated. It looks very easy from out of the court. It looks simple, but it's not. It's just day by day вАС work, difficult times, not playing well, not feeling the ball, struggling, mental problems that you have no confidence and this kind of things. When you can pull everything together, then you gonna have the results. But you need to work. It's day by day. But it's not really вАСвАС is not easy. It's just difficult to explain to the people how tough it is because they really think it's just you go there, you play your best tennis, that's it. That's how you gain points and confidence.

Q. Do you feel like you're going in the right direction, though, you're getting closer?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I'm working hard. I'm trying and I really want. Once you have motivation, once you want to do it, it's just a matter of just waiting for opportunity. Opportunities will come. It's not the last opportunity that I am having to get into semifinals or winning a tournament. There's still a lot of вАСвАС plenty of months to play. And once I will have this вАС and I'm sure I will вАС there is no chance that you cannot have chances. Take it, and then the confidence will grow, points will come, and the game will improve and the result will come.

»сточник: http://cincytennis.com