ATP MASTERS SERIES- MADRID

October 24, 2004

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: Questions in Spanish for Marat.

MARAT SAFIN: Enough. Quite a lot. Most of it, I think. The most important part.

MARAT SAFIN: What can I say? He explains things, he teaches, he tries to explain why, how, and what you have to do to reach the goal, small things that make a great difference when you play a match. He explains what the people like, what they don't like. Those main things, you see, that only a professional coach knows. He's worked with Federer, for instance, and has a lot of experience, and knows about it.

MARAT SAFIN: I think it's been an incredible year because I started in 89 in the ranking when I played in Australia. I was injured for six months last year. To win matches since was a surprise. Then I started playing as I should. It became a bit more regular. I had chances in Roland Garros of reaching quite a good position, but I couldn't. Then I lost confidence. That made it a bit difficult to start playing well again. I was then very lucky with my draw in Asia. I gained confidence and had great performances there, too. On the whole, I would say it was a great year. I'm looking forward to be among the eight best players.

MARAT SAFIN: Both things. For people my height, it's difficult to play on clay, especially in Barcelona where there's only Spaniards and Argentinians. It's even more difficult there. It has merit for me to win there. On the other hand, here, since I haven't won any match in altitude, it's important for me, too. So it's both things. I cannot say which is more important. They both have value.

MARAT SAFIN: Not this year, that's for sure. Maybe if he keeps playing like this, it's difficult to be at his level. If he keeps playing like he's playing, it will be difficult.

MARAT SAFIN: I think it has improved compared to last year and the year before when a few things were missing still. But now that it's been three years here, people have done great work, a great job. They have the models. It's interesting. They're trying to improve, to do things better. There's still a big sponsor missing maybe. They have CEPSA, but they need more. Anyway, I think they're improving and they still can improve.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, it has nothing to do with it. Sometimes you get upset on the court for some things more than for others. There was a point where I was missing a lot, three quite easy errors. My game started to get complicated. Those are errors that one should not make. That's why I got upset. But it's normal. However, I'm trying to keep calm, because that's how you get more chances of winning easily. It's easier that way.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, several reasons, I guess. I played two finals in Australia. I was in Roland Garros. But from the outside, it's always easy to think one can win. From the outside, I repeat, it's easy to think one can win a Grand Slam. From the outside, it's easy to be a No. 1. But from the inside, there's things that, for several reasons, prevent you from reaching the top. You fight, but there's something missing. I think I've achieved what I should. I do not regret anything. I've had my chances. I've also made a few mistakes. But I'm still 24. It's not that I'm 28, about to retire without winning a match. It's not that. We'll see what the future brings me. I think I'll be able to win a Grand Slam.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. I've done everything I could.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, it's been easier than what I expected, maybe because he hadn't had a really tough match at any time. He had easy matches here. Maybe he got used to that. Besides, he had a lot of pressure towards the Masters, to make it in the Top 8. Those things prevented him from playing at his level. Besides, I'm 4-1 ahead against him, so he respects me. He's trying to improve, but he misses the small chances he has. He's afraid of achieving the break, for instance.

MARAT SAFIN: Against Lopez, who had a lot of chances of beating me in the first set, the second, the third. He had a lot of chances. He's playing at home. He has a good backhand. He serves well. He had played a match before, and I hadn't. I had to get used to the court. I had trouble with that. After that, everything became easier. But those three sets made me suffer actually.

MARAT SAFIN: It's great. It's great for me to be able to get back to the Masters, find my game so I can be pretty confident for the next two weeks, play well in St. Petersburg - I have quite a good draw - and also coming comfortable to Paris. The way I'm playing, I think I can achieve a little bit more and I can get a little bit closer, get to the Masters, get higher in the ranking. That's what I'm looking for. I'm really happy the way I'm, you know, performing. I didn't really expect that I can play such great tennis in such short time, you know. Even though last week I lost in the second round without any great tennis, and all of a sudden it turn out this way.

MARAT SAFIN: It's like opinions. Basically everybody can win. You know, to do it, go on the court and play against Federer or against Agassi or against any other players in the Masters Cup, the guys will fight for every ball. It's a lot of points in the game, it's a lot of money. It's kind of really, really difficult, and anybody can win. Especially the favorite is Roger. The way he's playing, he's great, it's too easy, everything coming too easy for him, full of confidence. It looks like he found his game that he was looking for a long time actually during his career. Since he was 22, he just discover it. Now it looks like nobody can stop him. He's the principal favorite. Then, like a lot of other guys, they can give trouble.

MARAT SAFIN: I think the Spanish, they are favorites because they're playing at home and they're playing on clay. They have everything to win the title. I mean, they cannot make a mistake not to win it. They have everything. Just take it.

MARAT SAFIN: Of course. I have to improve a lot of things. Basic stuff. Just have to bring something new to the tennis. Otherwise, the people they get used to your style of game. They know how to play against you. They know your weak parts of the game. So basically the all-around game, volleys, maybe serve, try to bring something new. Not much.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I got frustrated because I felt that I just have to put the ball in play, because he was -- he was getting nervous and he was not like feeling really comfortable on the court. He didn't know what to do, where to go. And I saw that. I missed a couple of easy shots and I got frustrated because you're not allowed, you're not allowed to do such mistakes.

MARAT SAFIN: Keep it. If it's coming this way, it should come this way. I mean, you cannot bring it back and just remind it, start all over again. For some circumstance, it's this way. So next time try -- like I was feeling he will break it anyway. So it's why it like kept me alive for a little while there.

MARAT SAFIN: In a way, yes, but was a little bit too early for me, was a little bit too great the way I played, so I couldn't really understand that I can also win without playing such great tennis. But I had not enough confidence. I wasn't comfortable with the way I played in the finals. I was a little getting too nervous, putting a lot of pressure. So finally it took me quite a long time to understand who I am and the way I can play. Yeah, the basic thing is who you are, and that everybody deals with that, with a lot of pressure. If you don't achieve what you supposed to do, what the people tell you to achieve, there's nothing wrong about it. You do your career the way it should, you give hundred percent, and whatever comes comes. You cannot win all the time, even though the people, they think you should be the best one and you can beat anybody. I know who I am. For me it's really like I was dealing with a lot of pressure. To win these kind of matches, playing against a guy, playing against yourself, it's almost impossible.

MARAT SAFIN: He's a little bit not the same way that I am. But in a way, like, probably we are both perfectionists, which it's difficult for the perfectionist to be on the court and just win the match no matter how, arguing with the frames. If you need to shout at the other guy to lose the match, to put him pressure, do you that. Just too nice. Whenever it didn't go our way, we just were getting lost. You know, we felt like we're not good enough for this game, we should be better, and you putting so much pressure. So that's why I think he understood it really late, and I understood it on time. Hopefully I can improve it a little bit. I'm satisfied the way my career is going, but you always want to improve. That is the thing. Get as close as you can to the perfect stage.