NASDAQ-100 OPEN

March 25, 2002

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Marat, please.

MARAT SAFIN: It's difficult. I didn't play well today; I know that. I almost lost my match. I had big opportunities, you know, 4-3, serving -- with a serve. 6-5, serving for the match. Just bad game. But I was there, still was there. I fight and eventually, in the tiebreaker, I could finish it.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I played bad, I know that. I didn't play my best tennis definitely. But it happens, you know, and I hope next day I will play better. But it just didn't work. Anything didn't work today. Didn't work the serve, didn't work the baseline. The volley wasn't great. But still, you know, I was there, 7-6 in the third. Third round still not bad.

MARAT SAFIN: But the Grand Slam, I play much better because I think is five sets so I have time, you know, to get into the match and I have more chances to win the match. Five sets, is long way to go. And here is you have one break and you are basically down a set and you have to be careful in the second set. So, it's very difficult for me to play three-set matches than the five sets.

MARAT SAFIN: The guy is, you know, we're working. We just started to work. So maybe it will not work, maybe it will work. So who knows. But I have to give him some time, you know. And if it's not working, is not a problem because he's still my manager and it's -- I will stay friend with him. But I need to give him some time, you know, to get to know each other better and see if it works or not. For the moment, I don't think it's working. But I have to give some time.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but you have to understand by yourself that what you need in your game, that what you would love to be in the future. Because I don't think that when I am going to be 26 or 27 I would love to run in the sun like when it's 30 degrees and just play from the baseline. So I have to improve my volley. So at the end, I would definitely change my game, you know, to more serve and volley. It's gonna be difficult to play from the baseline, definitely, when you're 26, 27. You don't have so much energy anymore. You want to play fast points. So, I would have to change.

MARAT SAFIN: No. No way. No way, no way. No way. I love tennis, but not like, you know, I like to enjoy my life. It would be a pity to spend my best - probably best years of my life just living with tennis. It would be the biggest mistake in my life. And I like to enjoy my life. I'm having fun on the court. I love to play tennis. I love to practice, you know - not much, but still, I am trying to do my job, and I like it. But only tennis, definitely not.

MARAT SAFIN: Grand Slams is the biggest thing that can happen to you. If you win the Grand Slam, you are just -- it -- anything can't be better. The Grand Slam is the best, the best feeling when you're winning a Grand Slam. It just give you so much confidence and you're having great time because it's two weeks. And it's like five sets, and every match is like, you know, big-time. Because you're on your way to win a huge, huge price, being a Grand Slam champion.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't think so. I don't think so. I don't think that you have to destroy your life just because of tennis. I think it doesn't make any damage living your life and doing your job on the court. Because your job you're doing, it takes how many days to practice? Two, three hours, okay, yeah? Definitely. You cannot practice a lot during the tournament because it's very hard, because you have to play the next day. So you play one hour, one hour and a half, you go to the gym, make it two hours, I don't know. Two to three hours. Let's put it this way, three hours a day. The rest of the day, what you are doing? You have to stay at home. Watching stupid TV? That's it? That's all the thing can give? Is boring. It's very boring. I am 22 years old. I want to enjoy my life. I am living right on the beach, Miami Beach. I am having so much fun. So why I have to change my way of life? I like it. I love it. Sorry.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, it's my personal. It's too personal.

MARAT SAFIN: Too personal.

MARAT SAFIN: No, because I don't think that everybody has to know what I like to do. That's what I'm telling you it's something personal. I don't like to share it. That's it. Sorry, I like, like everybody, I go to cinema, do things. But there is something that just secret. Confidential.

MARAT SAFIN: I would love to. I'm doing everything as possible to get there. But also to live my life.

MARAT SAFIN: We'll see.

MARAT SAFIN: I would love to play Gonzalez, but Pete, I think he's -- with him I have quite good results. In Indian Wells he make some finals I think? Or semifinals, no? Indian Wells? Indian Wells, I don't know what he make. But I think semifinals, so he's in good shape. Is a tough, tough player. But you never know. Last time I beat him in Australia, so we'll see. I don't know. Whatever it comes.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, you have to live this big moments, you know. It's very nice to go out of the court so probably we gonna play in the evening, I think so, no?

MARAT SAFIN: I think it's better also because it's gonna be full stadium I think. It's gonna be a lot of people, right? It's probably good match for the spectators. TV, you know, it's gonna be great atmosphere. So it helps you - a lot - the atmosphere on the court helps your game definitely. Is not boring, it's gonna be fun. It's playing against big guy. You have to play well. It gives you a lot of motivation.

MARAT SAFIN: Today when I went into the court, it was like ten people maybe? So it was like, you know, you working at 11 o'clock in the morning. But then it's -- it was much better, the time. So third set it was quite a lot of people.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean when the people are coming to watch tennis and they are enjoying it, you enjoy it also. You know, it's just -- because I am playing for the spectators. If they're having fun, it's great. I'm feeling much better. I'm playing much better. And also when they are cheering for me, then it's too good. It makes your game easier.

MARAT SAFIN: That's what I'm trying to do, I'm trying to forget. It's a bad lose, not a good memory. It's not a good memory to lose on your birthday, being the favorite. It happens. I'm just 22. I have many years to play, many chances to win a Grand Slam. I think I will forget about this quite soon.

MARAT SAFIN: This year, too much. Because first of all, we are playing everything at home. Every -- match is going to be in Moscow. Yevgeny wants to retire. He wants to retire only in the case we gonna win Davis Cup.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. Yes. I am responsible also for this.

MARAT SAFIN: I will give him a present.

MARAT SAFIN: He's done a great career, ten years? How many years has he been in Top 10? Since he was 21. He's 28. He spend seven years Top 10, two Grand Slams winner, Olympic champion, 21 tournament singles titles, no? 21 singles titles? 21 doubles titles. That's quite good. He's from old generation, and it's really, really good. I would love to have the same career like him. It's good. And I think it's the perfect way to retire, being in the still up in the Top 10, and you're just retired. That's going to be perfect. Winning the Davis Cup.

MARAT SAFIN: My philosophy of life? If I am thinking like typical Russian? What do you mean?

MARAT SAFIN: No, I don't think so. Because I spend too many years -- I am more European, I would say. I would say. I would say so, because I spend eight years in Spain since I was 14. So, I cannot be typical Russian. And I am proud of it, that I am not typical Russian.

MARAT SAFIN: That's okay.

MARAT SAFIN: I played bad. I think you noticed this. And just it wasn't my day. But I was there, I fight. I try to do all my best. I try to do serve and volley, even if didn't work at all. But still I was there and I had opportunities at 4-3 serving, 6-5 serving for the match. And I lost them. I just start to play really good the tiebreak. I'm not satisfied with my game, but I'm satisfied with my win, the way I fought today. Definitely.