PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 13, 2003

Marat Safin

MODERATOR: Questions.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I had no power because I was actually very sick last night. I took some antibiotics. I'm feeling like a little bit weak. But just I try to stay focus and try to finish, try to do -- try to play a little bit faster, you know, like stay calm and try to concentrate from the first point, just play my game. I was successful.

MARAT SAFIN: Just sick from my stomach, throwing up, and I had fever last night. I had to take some antibiotics.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. But still I feel a little bit, you know, like I don't have too much energy. So I'm trying to survive.

MARAT SAFIN: Probably. It cannot be from anything else.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but I don't know what he has in his brain. I mean, he's doing whatever he wants. Probably he doesn't want to play for the moment at all. I don't know. I cannot judge the guy who was the best player of all times, and the guy who won 14 Grand Slams. So I'm not the person to judge here. He has to do whatever he feels like. If he feels like playing, great. If he doesn't want to play, better for him.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't know. Probably he didn't play his best match definitely. He was missing quite a lot of balls. I was focused. He's a kind of a guy that is not like you have to run a lot, you have to play a little bit more short points, try to -- just try to return his serve, don't let him to push you. He's not the kind of player like Hewitt where you have to run a long time and try to do something unbelievable strange. You have to play your game and try to just stay focused, that's it.

MARAT SAFIN: You can't to change a lot. It's a little bit tough schedule. You have like three Masters Series in a month, and then I have to play. It's a good preparation to play Dusseldorf, because I know I have to practice, but it's a nice tournament to play. The same thing. Very important to stay focused from the first match you're playing at French Open, so you play less sets than other players. That's the main thing. Try to work out, you know, physically. Yeah, you have to be very good prepared physically. That's it. Try to prepare yourself mentally also for long matches and for these kind of like against really tough players, you have to be focused, be at your best shape.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I have a masseur, he's also a doctor. I had to take some antibiotics. Just cannot stay a long time in the heat, getting worse. But I'll be okay. I'm still young. My body can survive.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: No, no.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. They don't practice either. Just my grandfather.

MARAT SAFIN: No, he's not Russian. He's Islamic also, Muslim.

MARAT SAFIN: If I start to explain geographically, it will take a little bit longer. It's from part of Russia.

MARAT SAFIN: It's a little bit subject that I don't want to discuss. You will know. Anyway, you will know soon. But just is a thing that's a little bit private.