AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 27, 2005

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: First question in English.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, of course I remember that point. Just I was a little bit -- I was lucky. To be honest, I have to say that I was lucky. But I had no other choice. I couldn't go -- from the dropshot, I couldn't go anywhere, because I just lob him, and he was not getting there in position to make a passing shot. So the only chance he had to play between the legs. But it could work also. He had a chance.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. A little bit, yeah. After that I couldn't take my match points. To come back and still fight to win, it's a little bit difficult because psychologically you're little bit -- you're upset, you already had your chances. Because normally it says like if you don't take your chances, another person will take it. So for some reason I found the power, you know, to fight and try to wait for my opportunities, and eventually they came, even though it took me like four match points - more, so. Five, six. It's enough match points. But also have to understand that I'm not playing against just a simple player. It's just No. 1 in the world, Roger. And you have to really work the point. You cannot do anything, you cannot go for the shot, even though that I tried to go, you know, on my serve. I went down the line, like it didn't work. So it's a little bit -- it's too much pressure. Too much pressure even though that -- when you have a match point, because you really have to build the point to win it.

MARAT SAFIN: No, I mean, everybody's allowed to take time off. Maybe he had something. I think he's not type of guy to stop the time this way. But doesn't really matter. I went to the toilet. We're allowed to do that. We spend there for four hours, so basically everybody needs rest, some to have extra time.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. But hopefully I'll have enough energy to be in good shape in the final and to be able to fight. Because even though that I took No. 1 in the world, here it doesn't mean that I'm the favorite in the final. Just other players, Roddick is in great shape, Hewitt is playing -- if Hewitt will be in the finals, he going to play with his home crowd. So it's not going to be easy at all. So you have to be really prepared for that.

MARAT SAFIN: That should be this way actually. That should be -- that should be the final from last year, I guess. No matter what, if you would won this way, you would have so many -- if you won this match, that's fair enough. But last year, I mean, I'm not taking any credit from him at all, but I was just -- had no chance last year. Just this how it should be the final, actually.

MARAT SAFIN: Roger, he brought the tennis a little bit -- one level higher. So if you really want to compete, to be able to be close to him, at least to have a chance to compete against him, you really have to see how to improve the game so you'll be able to, you know, to play with him, to have a chance at least to make a difficult match. Because normally he toys with everybody. With all respect to other players, he does whatever he wants on the court against them. So that's why I need the job of the coach is to improve and to try to be as close as you can to Roger. And he put tennis, you know, the bar very high - very high. It's incredible what kind of game he can play.

MARAT SAFIN: No, nothing really. Nothing really new. You know, I played against him many times, so basically I know what to do. And for some reason I was a little bit not -- against him, never I felt comfortable on the court. Today after the first set I was little bit -- at the beginning of the first set, I was very nervous, I couldn't find really my game because just for some reason didn't feel myself -- I didn't feel comfortable at all. Then with the second set, I started to find my game and I knew already what he doesn't like and where to push him. At the end of the day, it worked.

MARAT SAFIN: That's the question that everybody wants to hear the answer. But I'm not going to tell (smiling). I mean, I keep it for me. But I'm sure the players, probably some of the players that saw the match, so basically they know and they saw it in the match.

MARAT SAFIN: How can I describe? Great. Great. I just cannot find any other words to describe it. But I'm still here on the courts, you know, talking to you guys, and it's already almost 1:00 in the morning, so basically maybe I'll have a chance to get to my room and have a glass of champagne.

MARAT SAFIN: They're both tough. I mean, they're both tough. Hewitt's going to be -- he's just -- you know, he going to fight every single ball. He will have the crowd behind him. And Roddick, the way he's serving, the way he's playing right now, he's in great shape. He's serving really, really good. So it doesn't like really matter. It's just different types of game. But just it's the final. It's changing a lot, but I don't know really who do I prefer or what is better for me.

MARAT SAFIN: Really.

MARAT SAFIN: I'm trying. I'm trying. After these kind of matches, you need some time for yourself to be able to sit down, to be able to relax, because it's like there's so much adrenaline inside of you, just sometimes it's really difficult to talk because to find the right things to say, because there's so many thoughts, you have so many emotions inside of you. So basically it's -- you have to let it go. And sometimes it's just better for you to get home and be by yourself for half an hour just to relax, because you are a little bit so uptight, and adrenaline just keeps on pushing.

MARAT SAFIN: I think this one. I would pick this one. It's just more -- for me it's more valuable - without taking any credit, of course, from Andre. But this -- I have to say is a little bit different story, because last year I was coming from a long time being injured, and for me any win would be -- was a surprise, especially beating Agassi of course in five sets. But here I'm playing against No. 1 in the world, that he lost only six matches last year. And you're playing against him in semifinals, and he didn't lose a match till this year. So it's a little bit -- it's a little bit -- it's a different story. I think this one is more valuable for me.

MARAT SAFIN: Just they were little bit different finals. After I made the first final, I just was really nervous because I didn't have so much experience, you know. Like was a little bit -- was a little bit - how to say - didn't expect being in a final, especially against Johansson. Supposedly I was supposed to be a favorite and win this title, and I couldn't deal with the pressure at all. So it was a little bit too difficult for me. Last year, just I run out of gas, and I couldn't believe either that I'm going to win this time. But now it's a little bit different story. I had two bad experience in the final, so probably I will take -- I will be really careful and I will really take it really seriously and try to be prepared as much as I can.

MARAT SAFIN: That really is the question I can't find the right answer, you know. But just the five sets is kind of also lottery. I mean, you have to really -- it can happen anything.

MARAT SAFIN: With experience. Let's put it this way: lucky guy with experience.

MARAT SAFIN: It's actually a big advantage because I need -- it would be great to have two days off because all the time I spent today and I was running, you know, really it was one of the toughest matches I ever had in my life. I need time to recover, to be able to, you know, to be fit again and be fresh for the final. Otherwise if I have only one day, it's a little bit difficult to recover.

MARAT SAFIN: That sucks, I know. But that's life (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: Probably in the Juniors, and I even lost that match I think. So, yeah. So hopefully will never happen again because really -- it's really tough to come back, you know, after such a -- so many -- so many untaken opportunities, that you really start to believe, you know, that's it, your chances are gone, wait for his chances, and you have no chance to win it. And I proved to myself that even though I couldn't take my chances, there still be another chance if you keep on going and keep on waiting and keep on just hanging in there. It will come. It will come. If you really want it, if you really deserve it, it will come.