AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 1, 2004

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Marat.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I was a little bit -- a little bit too tired to keep up with him with the same rhythm. And I had to be there from the beginning to the end. And I felt that I was missing just a little bit - just a little bit. I didn't need much, but a little bit more, something more, some extra energy to stay there. Because basically it went like this. I had a chance in the first set. And if I would won the first set, it would be a little bit different story. But still, you know, after I lose in the first set, then it was a little bit difficult because he became confidence and it was difficult to keep up with him.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, for me it's still great. I would never think that I would be in the finals this week, I mean, after what happened before. But I'm happy. Doesn't matter. I mean, like finals, okay, could be much better. I should have won, all these things. But if you look realistically at the picture, I think it's great for me. Great two weeks. I beat great players. I will have other chances to beat him in the finals. But for me, for me personally, it's great. It's good to start the year this way.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, just energy. Because also with the serve, the legs are making most part of the serve because I need to, you know, bend your knees and all these things. And I couldn't. My legs were just too tired to do all this job. And without serve, is difficult. If I would have served better, I would have a higher percentage of first serve, then probably I would have more chances. As I said, energy.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, what do you mean, in the beginning, before the match?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I tried to take it easy. I didn't play two days ago. I played yesterday and a little bit today. But it's just -- it's a different story. It's different story. I mean, when you go into the court, you have to play, it's already final. I think I played too many sets, I spent too many hours on the court. And there's nothing you can do. And especially against these kind of players, like Roger, you have to do better than that.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but you have to look also -- of course, you can. But it's timing, it's not coming like this (snapping fingers). You play one day, you don't know how to play tennis, then straightaway you learn how to play tennis. It's not like this. It's coming with time. I was out for eight months. I mean, of course -- of course, you still need to work, you need to still to do a lot of fitness. And I mean, for me, it was the first tournament that I played since Australian Open last year. And I didn't play for one year so many matches in two weeks. So, I mean, I cannot complain. I mean, physically, I'm okay. But just it wasn't enough. I missed a little bit. It's not like it's a big problem with the fitness. I've been playing against Roddick and against Agassi five sets. So it's a little bit difficult.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, you cannot just look at the bad part of the story. You have to look also for the positive parts, you know. Yeah, you could say, "Okay, I played bad, I should have played better, this and that." You can find a lot of excuses. But realistically, I'm happy. I'm satisfied. I don't want to push myself down because I lost a match against Federer. It's not like I played against a yo-yo, a guy who doesn't know how to play tennis. You know what I mean? Let's give him some credit. He is a big player. He's No. 1 in the world, sorry to tell you (smiling). I mean, you need to be really prepared. You need to be really fresh because he spend -- he didn't play -- he played only I think one match in four sets. He's fresh, he's fit. You know, he doesn't have problems -- he didn't have problems all these two weeks. So he's fresh. It's not a big deal. He just was fresh; I wasn't.

MARAT SAFIN: He is a great player. He has all the shots. He has volley, he has serve. He's most complete player on the tour.

MARAT SAFIN: No. It's a little bit different story. Yeah, they have some kind of same things. But I think Federer, he has better -- he a little bit -- I don't want to take anything from Pete. I mean, mentally, he was the strongest player on the tour. He has the biggest serve in the world. He has an unbelievable forehand and very good hands in the volley. But sometimes he was missing a little bit the backhand. So Roger, he has -- he has everything and a backhand. Probably he doesn't have enough volley like Pete Sampras. But he is really good. I mean, he can volley. It's a little bit different story. But Pete, as you can see, he won 14 Grand Slams. And he has a really good -- he was really, really tough.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't care. For me, it was really important matches. For me, it was -- for me personally, I'm satisfied it was even like this. Because for me to beat Roddick and to beat Agassi, it was really important. I mean, I always thought that Agassi was unbeatable for me, and I beat him. So it's like, okay, you cannot -- that was great matches, great matches. I'm happy that I won them. But, unfortunately, it took me a lot of energy. I wish I could win the final, but it's okay. I can survive that moment.

MARAT SAFIN: No. You cannot be satisfied if you have a chance to win a tournament. You always go for more. You cannot stop at some point. You always want more, all right? You win one match, you want another one, another one, another one. And, of course, you want to win. Especially when you have one match left, you want to win all the tournament, all the event. And there's a lot of reasons to win it - a lot of reasons.

MARAT SAFIN: Just at the practice in the morning, I felt that it was difficult, really difficult, for me to move. And I tried to -- that's why -- I tried to -- I was -- maybe I put myself too much pressure in the first set because I wanted really badly to win the first set, because it would be different story for me. Because even if I don't have so much energy, but I could stay, because he will be under pressure, I would have more chances.

MARAT SAFIN: I'm really close. It's not like I'm really far away. It's not like I will not have any chances to beat him. I will have a lot of chances. I beat Roddick when he was No. 1 in the world here still. So basically I made a present to Federer (smiling). No, but, is not so much difference. It will be changing a lot of times, No. 1, during all this year and next few years. Tennis is very equal between a lot of guys, like in Top 10. Like five, six guys who can be No. 1 in the world, and they can be there.

MARAT SAFIN: I thought, " It's okay." I was in my mind trying to just -- that was -- I was looking a little bit for solution, try to do something. So I was like it was not important this point, it was really important how to -- you know, I was looking for something to come back, at least to have a chance to come back. I made a mistake. It's okay. It could happen to anybody.

MARAT SAFIN: No.

MARAT SAFIN: All four of them?

MARAT SAFIN: There is a chance. But I don't think so. I don't think so. Tennis is too equal, and everybody can beat everybody. I don't think so. Maybe two a year, yeah, but not all four of them. It takes a lot of energy and it takes a lot of -- it's too difficult. Too many tough matches.

MARAT SAFIN: What I'm feeling about the new generation basically?

MARAT SAFIN: I think it's great. There's nothing wrong with that. There's a lot of new guys, a lot of good players. Federer, Roddick, me, I'm there somewhere, Grosjean. There's a lot of players. But just very young. We'll be famous in five years. We'll be -- it will be the same Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe like a few years ago. It's going to be the same thing. But it just takes time. You don't have to hurry up. It will come, everything. It's evolution of tennis (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, they paid the ticket. They paid the ticket for the final. One guys is half dying, another one is playing his best tennis, so basically they want to see a little bit of entertainment, right? And also it's a little bit frustrating when they start to cheer you. They try to help you, but then when you're on the court, you realize that you have a lot of pressure. You know, it's a little bit difficult to play. And it's really -- it's really sad because you can't do anything. They really wants to see, and they really want you to win. You can't. You feel you can't do anything.

MARAT SAFIN: No, no. I didn't hear the music, no.

MARAT SAFIN: Is that a question?

MARAT SAFIN: I broke one year 68 racquet.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.