TMS MONTE CARLO

April 21, 2004

Marat Safin

MARAT SAFIN: It was completely different kind of matches, but this kind of match is the most difficult one. Yesterday, I could play tennis and I could just lose it because I was missing or because the other guy was better. But these kind of matches, the guy is completely destroying your game. He has no rhythm, he goes to the net, he serves well. (He/you) can lose very easy the confidence. Or if you lose the concentration, you are out of the match and you cannot come back. For me, it's like it's a really big step, a huge win. These kind of matches you have to really focus and really win. Otherwise, if it goes three sets, you never know how it's gonna end up.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, you already know what you gonna expect from him. He's gonna change the game, he's gonna play on the baseline and start to make rallies. He plays everywhere the same - on grass, hard courts, indoors, clay. When he has good days, he can serve well. You just have no chance to break him. He take chances on the serve. But I think he played whatever he could, I mean... I don't think he can play any better on clay because just is not his game.

MARAT SAFIN: No, just I have another week of matches I'm trying to play. Just match by match. And I can easily can say I have a very good draw, I play next round against Devilder or Arthurs. You cannot just throw away these opportunities to get little bit closer to the final. And take the points from here. That's my goal, to take them and be and stay in the race, in the Top 3 in the race, and be consistent - as consistent as I can be. I don't want to do miracles. If I win this thing, it will be great for me. If I don't, I lose, but at least I keep my game, score the points, and move on. That's it. Be consistent, is the most important thing for me right now.

MARAT SAFIN: Don't worry. I will have many years afterwards to enjoy it (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: It's little bit -- in the summer, in the summer. Now, I have to separate little bit pleasure with the business. I choose business these couple of months, work hard. After Wimbledon I take a few weeks of vacations, and I will enjoy it.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, go fishing. Just one week on a boat. I don't want to see anybody.

MARAT SAFIN: Not on my own, my friends. Somebody has to cook, right (laughter)?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. What else I need?

MARAT SAFIN: You are hot temper, like hot Italian man. You always think about one thing.

MARAT SAFIN: No, because we have already too much of this. So already we get to another stage where sometimes you need to rest even from this (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, he becomes younger (laughter). Is good...

MARAT SAFIN: Appetite coming with the food.

MARAT SAFIN: No, life. But it's like -- it seems like for the people is a miracle whenever we're talking about life. It seems like that there is only tennis and there is nothing else outside of the court. But it's not like this. Everybody knows this, and everybody's enjoying doing other things rather than tennis. I know, I had one year of vacations, I could do whatever I want and I was enjoying, like a normal guy of 24 years old - 23.

MARAT SAFIN: Sometimes it's difficult to find motivation in the first rounds just because of the -- sometimes it's difficult just to push yourself to win the tough matches like, for example, today and the match of yesterday. You have to find the extra motivation to win these matches. So of course when you get to the quarterfinals and semifinals, it's very interesting because you're playing a big time, you're playing for the points, you're playing for the crowd, the crowd is coming and you have big matches. That's where you enjoy more. For example, me. The first two rounds, nobody enjoys. It's hell. So you need to fight and push yourself just to give an extra something to win and just go through in and take the confidence out of these two matches.

MARAT SAFIN: For everybody.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, sure, whatever they can say. But I'm sure that they are not really happy to play in an empty court when even the courts doesn't want to watch this match. I am sure they are happy about this. Whenever people, they tell you they don't like the spectators to watch, it's a bullshit, completely bullshit.

MARAT SAFIN: Oh, okay. It was great. I mean, I was surprised for the players, they like to simulate a lot. They're falling and they're fighting, he almost broke his leg and after two minutes he is up and he runs again. But it's really interesting. It's really good to see life. But the seats that we had were not really good. But it's okay. It was good atmosphere. I am happy for them, for Monaco, that they won against -- 10 guys against 11. Even if I got the tickets from Chelsea, so... I'm happy for them (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: No, five minutes before. Otherwise...

MARAT SAFIN: 3-1, yeah. Good fight.

MARAT SAFIN: This is the things that is most annoying, actually.

MARAT SAFIN: Of course. Of course it's annoying. Of course like everybody's happy, sure, "Marat comes back, he's playing great tennis, I'm really happy for you." Come on. Seriously, whenever you are losing, like, "It's his fault." Whenever he is winning, "that's us." That's the team, the people. And whenever the guy is losing, whenever he has two, three, four matches, bad matches, "It's his fault," "He doesn't want to practice," "He doesn't want to do this," "He doesn't want..." "He doesn't want..." "He doesn't need..." "He doesn't care..." He doesn't whatever they want to say. But then when everything goes well, everybody is like -- all of a sudden there are coming friends from out of the -- from behind the stone and they are saying, "Oh, my God, he's back finally, and I was there to help him out." So it's a little bit annoying, and also it's annoying when the people, they come to you and they try to explain to you, "But maybe you should have a little bit -- you will be more calm, you will be much better..." Yeah, but normally - is also another thing - is all the time who says this, they're normally losers. Because they don't know how much time, how much dedication, how much it takes to be where I am right now. And of course there is not such a thing as a perfect player; it doesn't exist. It has to be a balance. So of course if you take out of my serve, would be with me, so maybe I would have better head. But because I have a serve or because I have this kind of game, that's why I have this head, and I have to deal with that. I know that's my problem. I cannot change it. Nobody can change it. I can improve it a little bit. But it's my head, it's the way I am. It's how I am. It's no chance I can be different. So whenever they start to teach you and explain to you...

MARAT SAFIN: Okay, good for them.

MARAT SAFIN: Not important. But just, you know, don't get too excited when I am winning, and don't get too depressed when I am losing. Just, you know, keep it cool.

MARAT SAFIN: How I am in my head?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but, darling, come on, I have quite decent career. For me, for myself, I had very good career. Of course, it's of course -- better is better than good. Yeah, I could be better if I will be improve, and I will be...

MARAT SAFIN: Of course. It's working. It's working. If I will be in different case, maybe I will not be where I am right now. Just I am there because how I am. I would not be better than I am, for sure. It's impossible. That's the maximum that I could achieve.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, at the time, of course if I will have more years of playing, of course I have more chances of winning Grand Slams or winning the other tournaments. So at the end of the day, I will be who I am, and I will win how much I could to win. I will never win -- like, for example, people, they come to me and they say I should have won already five Grand Slams. Yeah, but, sorry, but... I couldn't. For some reasons, I couldn't. I wish also, but it doesn't work this way. And also it's No. 1 in the world from outside, watching from the TV. I could be even coach of football team. You know what I'm saying? Everybody is smarter from outside of the court. But in the court, is little bit different. It's little bit different. You see different, and you feel, and you play sometimes against yourself. And it's really -- sometimes you are little bit, you know, you have to fight against yourself. It's really sometimes difficult to push. Sometimes you are scared, sometimes you are choking, sometimes you are not feeling confident, sometimes you are too confident, which is also bad. It's sport.

MARAT SAFIN: Just I want to keep it cool and just go match by match. I have long, long, long months. Long months. We have a lot of tournaments. If I get too excited right now, maybe I will be burned out by the time it's French Open. So try to get as much confidence as you can, and go strong in the French Open.