AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2001

Marat Safin

THE MODERATOR: English questions for Marat, please.

MARAT SAFIN: But first of all is very difficult to start, you know, the tournament, the first match of a Grand Slam tournament. You expect to win the first match, even playing bad or playing good. The most important thing is to win. You know, you start to think that you go to the court already, you are a little bit scared. It's normal. Everybody is like this. Especially I knew that I had to play very good against Galo because he's a very tough player, he beat Patrick Rafter in the first round of the US Open. He can make some good matches. It could be me, today, because he was there, he was playing unbelievable tennis because he played incredible shots like second set, I thought he was playing this game, he could be top 20 easy. I didn't expect that he can respond like this. Actually, I was very lucky. In some important moments I played very good. Actually, I'm satisfied with my game. But, you know, you have to -- each time you have to play better and better if you want to make some good results here.

MARAT SAFIN: Of course, I starting to get older, you know, I'm coming to a Grand Slam and I want to win. Because, yeah, I won one time and I can feel that why -- I have enough game, I have enough power, enough -- I have everything to win a Grand Slam tournament. But the problem is if you are lucky or not because you are in good shape or not because you have to prepare yourself perfectly for this tournament. You have to find very fast your game. If you find fast, you can make some good results. If you don't find it, you have to fight on the court and run like a dog and try to, you know, wait for another day, maybe it cannot come. Because not so far, the difference from playing badly and playing very good. It's just one match make the difference. So every tournament, especially in Grand Slam, you will have one or two tough matches that you have to win. Somehow, just with a lot of luck. If you win this, you can make some good results.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean today, I serve some fast serves. But you have to understand that this is a Grand Slam tournament and if you don't give everything, don't come here. If I will get broken, I quit. It's no doubt. I'm not going to cry on the court with my elbow or not. I am there, I am going to serve 100 percent. If I can serve, I will serve. If I can not serve, I say, "Thank you very much," and I am leaving. Because you cannot play with these guys 50, 60, 70 percent. You have to give all your best at the moment. And with a serve, with a backhand, whatever. And the elbow is injured. You have to go to the hospital. For the moment, it is okay. I can serve and I'm really satisfied and I hope it will serve like this during all the week, two weeks.

MARAT SAFIN: What do you mean?

MARAT SAFIN: A long time. I mean, you have to understand that it's like in every business you want to be the best, right? This is a kind of business, show business. I wanted to be the best. I did everything. Probably I was a little bit lucky on the Masters. I make some probably some stupid mistakes, and that's why I'm No. 2. So this year I hope I will be more clever, and I'm going to make all the things in the right way. So I'm still there; I'm still fighting for No. 1; and I hope I will fight for a few years more.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't defend anything this year. I don't want to think this way. I want to win as much tournaments as I can. I want to win another Grand Slam title. Of course fighting for No. 1. It would be great, yeah. I will be there, for sure. 365 days running after the ball, fighting for No. 1. That's the most important thing, of course. And of course it's win one or two Grand Slam titles, it could be great.

MARAT SAFIN: Kids? (Laughing.) I am 20, still 20. So I don't know what I will do after my tennis career. You want me to answer what my kids are going to do. (Laughter.) I don't know what gonna happen tomorrow. I mean, first of all, I am not ready to have kids yet. So when I'm gonna be a very old man, very clever man, I hope so. I will start to think about kids, I will start to think that first of all, they have to be satisfied. They have to be happy, more happy than me in my kidness, it will be great first of all. Then after that, they can decide.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, is not -- they gonna make decision not because I will say yes, it's good or bad. They gonna make it anyway, so it's gonna be at least 500 players who are going to decide if it's correct or if it's not correct. For the moment, I think the players are satisfied and I don't think that they have to change something. But anyways, I don't want to think about this. I mean, my business is on the court. Out of the court, if they say that the balls are going to be like, I don't know, like this, we'll have to play with these balls. I mean, making the show, we are trying to make it all the best for tennis, all the decisions. We're going to make it later when it's going to be, you know, something concrete. Because now is like flying somewhere in the air.

MARAT SAFIN: Because it's high balls. It's sometimes you have to -- because sometimes you win some time. You win a time there, because the ball is coming, it's like a lob and the ball bounce and you have to until it's gonna get down and there's a long wait for the other guy, the opponent. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If everybody's trying to do this, I think it's a good shot. Also, I think the spectators, they like it.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I don't think so. Because we start to make it from a long time ago when Rios wasn't born. (Laughter.)

MARAT SAFIN: I am glad that there's a lot of players, Russian players that are now doing well. Each time is more and more players. It means that, you know, that it's getting popular, this sport, in Russia. And also the guys, you know, they want to be somebody in the world and they're trying to give everything for this business. They want to be someone. That's the most important thing, they try to show to everybody that, yeah, even the Russians, they can play tennis. Not only Americans, Australians or Germans. I think we have a lot of kinds of people, and just they need time, experience. But I'm really happy is not only two players from Russia and it's coming some more. It's great.

MARAT SAFIN: Who gonna tell me this? Sorry, but I was No. 1 in the world. Who want to tell me? Yeah, probably but I don't understand why it's -- everybody is trying to tell me that it is bad for me. I've been doing this since I was, I don't know, since a kid. It's my character. How can I change my character? It's impossible. This is mine, and it's no way to change it. If you try to change it, I mean, there's no way. Also, if it's bad or good for me, I think it is okay. I am doing well. I mean, you saw it last year. Even breaking 50 racquets, I mean I was No. 1 in the world, at least for two weeks. That means something, no?