DAVIS CUP - RUSSIA vs FRANCE

November 29, 2002

Marat Safin

MODERATOR: Questions for Marat Safin.

MARAT SAFIN: I hope it will help our team to win the Davis Cup. I mean, what else I can say? Just one point for us. We're looking forward to win it. Why not?

MARAT SAFIN: No. I lost a little bit of concentration. You know, I won the first set, and then I kind of just slowed down. He made me a first break, then I couldn't find my game back until the third set. The third and fourth, I played really good tennis. I was controlling the match basically. I'm satisfied with my game. To play on clay after a long season on hard courts, to be able to play a tough match against Mathieu, and in France, it means I'm in good shape.

MARAT SAFIN: It was different. I never saw him play really. I never played against him. Moscow, I was kind of surprised the way he's playing because he is a great player. Of course he has a big future. He knows how to play, has unbelievable talent. He played well. He has nothing to lose in Moscow, and he was playing great tennis. But the second match, which was today, I knew already what I have to do, to not let him play his tennis. When he's dominating the match, he's really, really dangerous, so you need to do something, not let him control the match. I tried it, and it was good. I made it today.

MARAT SAFIN: You have to understand that I was nervous, of course. It's a Davis Cup final, the first match, first point, in front of all the crowd that is cheering for France. It's difficult to play your best. I mean, you're always playing your best tennis, but you kind of slow down. You think 5-2 your match is over basically, then you have to play one more game, to finish one more game, which I can't say that I played really bad that game, but he played well. I was rushing a little bit too much. I almost got broken twice in the fourth set. But then I played good. I was patient at some point.

MARAT SAFIN: Just, you know, to not let him attack the ball. I wanted to put it really deep, but I was rushing. I wanted to finish really quickly because I wanted to get out of the court. I was rushing. That's why I served really too fast, I think. There was no time between the first and second serve, so it was kind of a mistake.

MARAT SAFIN: Maybe because I'm a little bit too light, that's why I'm sliding too much (smiling). No, it's okay. The court is a little bit slippery. That's why sometimes, you know, you slide a little bit more than normal. But at the end I was getting used to it, and then it was okay.

MARAT SAFIN: Kind of really fresh (smiling). I didn't make anything for the last couple of weeks. I was just practicing, you know. I'm okay. Physically, I'm perfect. Mentally, I'm okay. We'll see how Yevgeny will play. If he will win, then we will be full of confidence and it will be a different story instead of if he going to lose. Then it's really, really a nervous match. It's not because of physical; it's more mental, I think. It's a Davis Cup, it's the final. I think it's more a psychological game than a physical.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but he played well. He already had 5-2 down, he already had nothing to lose. He played really well. I served all the first service. Maybe I rushed. Like I said, I rushed a little bit. I wanted to finish the game really quickly. But I think he didn't make any mistake. Also I didn't make any stupid mistakes to lose that game. On a breakpoint, he make me an unbelievable winner from the second serve. What can you do? Then on match point, I was trying to put him a little back so he will not attack my second serve. That's why I made him double-fault, but it wasn't by far. But that's normal. It's final. Everybody's nervous. Everybody wants to win.