AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2001

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

MARAT SAFIN: I think he played very good today, and I just -- I wasn't -- I played, as you can see the unforced errors, I make a lot of unforced errors. I play very badly. And I played -- I didn't make him run, and that's -- you cannot play this way against this kind of guys. He was hitting the ball very hard. You have to move them a lot on the court, and I didn't -- actually, I didn't play today. It was something wrong with me, because I couldn't move and just too many mistakes. I just played very far from the baseline and I didn't make anything special to beat him. I think he played very solid and he played very good today, and, yeah, he deserves to win. I mean I playing this way, he is a good player also. I mean, I can't play this way being No. 1, being No. 2 in the world. This is not my tennis. That's a little bit, I think -- that's ridiculous today what I made on the court. It was little bit disaster.

MARAT SAFIN: I couldn't move because, I don't know. I was tired. My legs didn't -- just was -- I was very slow. Maybe -- I don't know what's wrong, what was going wrong there, but I couldn't see the ball. I couldn't see the game because normally when you are playing you can see the game, you can see where the opponent gonna go with the ball, I just -- I was running from one side to another one and just putting ball, trying to put the ball inside the court. It was in the middle of the court or it was out. I mean, you cannot play like this against this guys. You have to do something more.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, it's like everything. If you serve and the guy doesn't move, of course he gonna return. Is nothing wrong with the speed of the serve. It's just if you don't move the other guy, you have no chance to beat him. That's why today I just -- I didn't move him at all. The guy, he wouldn't sweat. (Laughter.) I mean, it was -- the guy was playing very comfortable from the baseline because I was making all the work. I was running. I was making unforced errors. I mean, you cannot play -- that's not the game. I think he was much better than me today. I have to think what I have to do in the future because this -- it cannot go like this.

MARAT SAFIN: If he play against guys like Henman and Rafter, it's completely different game. Against Rafter, I don't think he's -- he gets confidence beating me, because I mean, he beat me today quite easy. And next round, he can play -- I think he can even play much better. But also a different game and I don't think he likes the guys who serves -- making serve and volley. It's -- he doesn't like this game. But you never know. He can play very good tennis anyway, and I think he make -- he can make some good results here.

MARAT SAFIN: No, because I mean, didn't -- if you don't have confidence, you cannot play -- you cannot do anything with the ball. I had no confidence at all. I was playing from the baseline, which is my best game, and I just was afraid all the time. I was afraid to hit the ball. I was afraid to change the directions. I was afraid to, you know, because we don't have confidence, you know, you start to lose. And you start to feel that the guy, the opponent, is much better than you and you start to try to find something else. When you don't have confidence, you cannot play. I didn't make anything, absolutely nothing to beat him. Yeah, I had the chances; yeah, I was a break up in both sets. But is not the point. At least you have to make the minimum of your game to beat him. But that was, I think, many peoples see that -- I mean, it wasn't my game. I think I can play a little bit better.

MARAT SAFIN: Davis Cup is completely different story. I mean, I'm not going to be scared because I'm not any more 14 years old and I am not -- I'm trying not to, you know, get nervous in Davis Cup. If we lose, I mean it's bad luck. But we're gonna fight. Definitely I'm not gonna be scared of playing. I have two, three weeks to practice and I think I can find my game. And I have to make some physic because as you can see, I was -- I moved horrible today and I have to do something else to beat him.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but I had many matches like this. I was down and I won them. But I mean also the people like Andre and Pete Sampras, they lose these kind of matches. Sampras, he lost against me. (Laughter.) I mean, Agassi, he lost against me in five sets in Roland Garros. I mean, they also lose these kind of matches. I'm not the only one in this world who can lose against Hrbaty. It's also you have to give a little bit respect to Dominik. He played great, and I don't think -- you have to respect him. I couldn't change anything today. But nothing -- is not -- just it wasn't my day.

MARAT SAFIN: No, I mean, this match is not the end of the world. I'm not going to play now satellites and try to win to get some confidence. (Laughter.) I mean, yeah, it was disappointed. I was really, really angry. Just I have to lose sometimes also. You cannot win all the time, every tournament you have to play your best tennis and try to win it. Yeah, I was trying. I make everything what I make today, and it was a disaster actually, and that's it. It's over. I mean this tournament is over. But it's the beginning of the year.

MARAT SAFIN: No. He is not my coach. He was the guy that I called to come with me just to make me company and just to have fun with him.

MARAT SAFIN: Good luck. What can I say more? Good luck, have fun.

MARAT SAFIN: You saw it, no?

MARAT SAFIN: Trying to -- they tried to help me, but I mean how -- you want me to translate to you the Russian words?

MARAT SAFIN: Which is -- if I tell you what is mean exactly, you will say that's it? (Laughter.) I mean it's not -- you cannot translate it. It's like, "Come on, come on, don't give up." It's not exactly that.

MARAT SAFIN: You know a disk, from the hockey?

MARAT SAFIN: So it was all the time like this. Right? You see the reaction.