WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2002

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon. Marat Safin. First question, please.

MARAT SAFIN: Actually, it was a very difficult first round for me so I'm just -- especially the courts are new and it's little bit difficult for me to start here and to play well, especially because you are nervous, you know you have a big opponent, Pioline. And it's difficult to play. But I was okay. I start to play well, you know, and I had my opportunity first set to break him -- I mean, I broke him and he make me break and I didn't. I think I played well for the first round. I think it was good. I serve well. I had some good volleys, you know. Baseline was working very good. So I'm satisfied.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, because I was -- my back was completely, you know, I couldn't play because I had so much pain and I had the week off. And I had some treatment in Moscow. Then I came here, I played Liverpool, and it was okay. Still hurts a little bit, but I can play. I still have to make some treatment. That's why I'm having my doctor here. So slowly, slowly, it's getting better and better.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, every year coming here, it's more experience than other thing, because I am playing already for three year here. You have to change a little bit your game because it's quite, quite difficult - especially if you're coming straight after the French Open and it's coming from clay court. So already if you know how to do it, you have to play on grass and what you need to play well. So then it's much easier, which is, I think, I'm doing better. My game is changing a little bit. So for me is basically my favorite -- favorite surface is hard court. So it's more or less the same. It's not so much difference for the people like Spanish players that use to play on clay. For them it's a big difference because the bounce is different and it's little bit faster and you need to adjust your game to this surface. For me, it's quite easy I think, after four years.

MARAT SAFIN: I think here is basically the game is two, three points makes a difference. And you have to be focus every time. You know, you need to be calm, you need to be focus more on your serve, service game. And just on the return you need to go for it, because you cannot wait for a mistake. You just need to go for it and you have to, you know, be aggressive here on grass. And it's -- if you can make it, it can work. But I think is main thing just go for it, be focus and fight every ball. Is basically like on every surface, but here is you need to pay more attention to the small things like serve, return, be more concentrated because the game is very fast here.

MARAT SAFIN: I said so many times already that now, since a few years, I mean, tennis is changing since two years already that the level of game of each player is growing, and it's not so much difference between the guys Top 10, guys in the rest of the players. And everybody can beat everybody in any surfaces. So you need to every match you win, you have to be happy. So it's difficult if you can say if I can win Wimbledon. Yeah, why not? But is also you have to look at other players, they can also play very good tennis on grass. And, I mean, it's difficult. It's very difficult. But the first rounds are most important on a Grand Slam, then the next stage is to get to the second week. If you can get to the second week, then it's completely different story. You are already in the quarterfinals and anything can happen. So my goal is now just to pass the second round, to get even more confidence, and just to work on your game and to feel, you know, more comfortable on the court.

MARAT SAFIN: What do you mean, before the tournament?

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, it depends of the player. Some people, they need to play straightaway good, you know, from the first round. But it's difficult to do it because you are nervous, you are not feeling comfortable in the court. And so it's difficult to play your best tennis. So you need to wait. And the best tennis is coming in the second week actually, where you played a couple of matches, where you feeling the courts, you feel the grass, you feel your technique, you're improving your game, the volleys is there. So basically from the second week you can play your best tennis, but the first week, it's very, very tough.