ATP MASTERS SERIES- MADRID

October 20, 2004

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

MARAT SAFIN: (In Spanish) Yeah, maybe because I had a bad week last week. I couldn't get the points I needed. So this week is going to help me to enter the Masters. So yes, it's a good start and I hope to continue this way.

MARAT SAFIN: It's a really tough opponent for me. I lost to him twice. Both times in a very fast surface. Once was in -- I forgot the first time was where. Second time in Athens. Oh, once I lost to him a long time ago in Hong Kong. So basically he's really tough opponent to play against because he serves well, he doesn't give you any rhythm, and all of a sudden he comes with a huge, huge shot. So it's really difficult, you know, to play against these kind of players. So for me it was a really tough breakthrough to beat this kind of guy. It's a lot of confidence, huge confidence. Especially I never win a match in altitude. So it's a perfect beginning of a tournament. Couldn't be any better.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, it's normal, of course. He's Spanish, from Madrid. People loves him. He played always well here, had great results. So, of course, the people were there to support him. But all of a sudden they get too excited because I had something against the chair umpire. It was just I had my discussions with him. Had nothing against the public and against the player, especially when I told him to be a little bit slower because he was rushing a little bit too much, you know, on the serve. So it's kind of like, you know, I told him once, twice. I told him, "Listen, man, be a little bit slower and let me time to breathe at least. I cannot prepare myself and all of a sudden turn such a huge serve like he has." So that's why probably people, they didn't really like this part. But, of course, it's normal.

MARAT SAFIN: Finally I got my confidence like a few weeks ago in Beijing. I was struggling for all the summer basically. I had two good weeks, then of course a very tough week for me. In Moscow, it's very difficult for me to play, because it's too much pressure, and the surface not really suits me. It's kind of difficult to make any good results there. And this week for me, it was like I didn't have any expectation, especially I knew that I have to play against Lopez. But this kind of match gives you the huge confidence and huge opportunity, you know, to play well, to make great points, I mean, a lot of amount of points to get to the Masters, which is my main goal. So it's great, you know. Confidence and points, you couldn't ask for more.

MARAT SAFIN: (Translated from Spanish.) We're lucky we play at home, so you won't have many chances to defeat us in our home. So the court is indoors, fast, really fast, so we will do all we can not to give you chances. As we know you have dangerous players, playing on fast courts. Massu won Athens. But I guess the court is going to be even faster. I'm sorry, that's life (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: Koubek. Tough opponent. He plays -- he's kind of playing well. He passed the quallies. He beat sufficient guys like Johansson. Today he beat Gonzalez. It's going to be a tough match. He's probably very confident. He has basically nothing to lose, so he will give his best try tomorrow. I have to be careful that I should expect a lot from this guy. He is fast. He has a lot of experience. Even though he has really long downs where he's not playing well, all of a sudden he comes up with the great matches. He can be really, really dangerous.