PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 13, 2002

Marat Safin

MODERATOR: Questions.

MARAT SAFIN: I think outside courts even worse. It's difficult to play. Balls flying everywhere, a lot of sand, you know, going to your eyes. Very difficult, but it's good match to win.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, yeah. Too much. I think they have to make the rule that when it's too much wind, you cannot play. It's way too much. It's definitely not the conditions to play tennis. Because the quality of tennis is not the same. I don't think the spectators enjoy a lot watching these matches.

MARAT SAFIN: It's good. It's a good match to win. It's the kind of matches that you have to be tough from the beginning, be concentrated, because everything can happened. Two bad shots, two frames, you can be down a break, down a set, and then you never know. I'm lucky and I'm happy the way I play today, that with these conditions I can play, can make some good tennis.

MARAT SAFIN: At the beginning, because at the beginning you have to be careful because you're not ready for these kind of game because you never played with this kind of weather, so much wind. It's very difficult to find your game. So first games, it took me a lot of time to get used to it. Then I was 5-3 up. Just I lost my serve, two bad shots, the game is gone. Then you have to start again from the beginning. I was quite happy that I won the first set, you know, 7-5, and we didn't go to the tiebreak. The tiebreak, it's just like a Lotto. It can go anywhere. Then the second set, I found my game, I knew what I have to do, and I did that.

MARAT SAFIN: What do you mean, with the weather? If I can refuse playing?

MARAT SAFIN: Think you have to talk to the guys from ATP, and I definitely sure that I think I'm right, I hope I'm right, that with these kind of conditions, you know, with a lot of wind, it's very difficult to play. So the quality of the game is going down. I don't think that will make the spectators very happy watching these kind of matches. And I think you have to sit down and you have to see what conditions you can play actually because you want to show your best tennis to the spectators. You want to keep them happy, because also not many spectators came to center court. Actually, it wasn't really good match. But still, you know, it's just because of the weather I think also, they couldn't come. I mean, it's not really nice to sit there with a lot of, you know, sand in your eyes and just so much wind and so freezing. So it's also not very well, not very good. And I don't think they sell alcohol here to keep you warm.

MARAT SAFIN: For me, I find it really good because not really fast, and the bounce is quite high. You can play from the baseline, you can play serve and volley. So it's not so fast. For me it's perfect, very good.

MARAT SAFIN: I hope it will not be the same like today, I mean, the conditions. I wish it will be a normal day so at least it will be a decent match so I can play my game and I will have my chances. And I'm looking forward, yeah. I'm playing well, with confidence. I wish I can go through to the quarterfinals, whatever.

MARAT SAFIN: I think I'm leading 2-1. Actually last match was in, I understand, two years ago, long time ago. It will be a really difficult match because he beat today Nicolas Escude, he's in good conditions, so he will be tough to beat.

MARAT SAFIN: It's a little bit different story. But, yeah, I'm quite in good conditions. I'm motivated. I want to play. I want to win, I want to do well. I'm not defending any points here. I'm happy with myself. I'm happy with my game. So I just want to play, enjoy my game, win as many matches as I can, just keep winning, keep going in the ranking.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I think, yeah, I am pretty confident in myself