TMS - STUTTGART

November 1, 2000

Marat Safin

MODERATOR: Questions for Marat, who overcame his 5-0 deficit from Santoro.

MARAT SAFIN: Best day in my life.

MARAT SAFIN: I just tried to convince myself that I have enough game and I have enough power to beat him. I have everything, but it was just mental problems. I was scared already before the match, and it's difficult to play like this. I play today like against a normal guy. I try to make what I have to do. I knew that sometimes in some moments I will have to rush a little bit, you know, to risk. But I think I played in the right way and I make the things great. Not perfect, but I made my game. It's more important.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I was really scared at the beginning of the match. When I went to the court, I was very scared. My serve in the first game didn't work. I couldn't run. I was very, very nervous. I couldn't play my game. But just after two games, I start to run, I play my game, and I start to build, you know, point by point and try to make my things. I didn't look at him, what he was doing, because when you look at him, you forget how to play tennis, for sure. You know, you start to risk, you start to make some crazy things, dropshots. So just I had to play my game, that's it.

MARAT SAFIN: 15-40?

MARAT SAFIN: I don't know. I played my game like I played before. Why I made 15-40? I miss two shots that normally they have to go inside the court. After this, I try to make the same game, and I made it. Probably I was lucky because he hit two times in the net. If it's a little bit higher, it's a point, probably a set. But I just made my game, even when I was down. I'm satisfied that I didn't get scared, I didn't get paralyzed on the court.

MARAT SAFIN: I hope so I can forget. It would be great. I think it's next step in my life, in my game.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. He's the only person in this world who can beat me - no, I mean who beat me five times in a row without any problems. All my respect to other players, but I don't want to say the other ones don't know how to play tennis. This is the only one who can drive me crazy on the court like he did already for two years.

MARAT SAFIN: It will be decided probably two, three points. Just you have to pay a lot of attention on the return. If I hold my serve, I have to put pressure on the return. I mean, from the baseline, I'm better than him. He is better in the volley. But I think the courts are slow enough, go from the baseline and just try to hold the serve, try to push on the return. Just try to make your game.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. That's why I'm telling you I have to pay a lot of attention on the return, because it's going to be one, two points in each game that's going to decide probably the set. Who going to be more lucky, who going to be a little bit more concentrated at the moment going to win.

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, big changes, no. The things, they've been going the right direction probably. I mean, I want to say that I play against Fabrice in the Olympic Games. I went there with all the confidence of the world, and he drove me crazy one more time. It was 6-4 in the third. Then I came to Vienna, another French guy, he drive me crazy, 7-6 in the third. I was unlucky probably. Then I went to Moscow, I lost in semifinal. But already I didn't play my best tennis. Here I try now. With the match of today, I feel comfortable. I feel okay - better than that month before.

MARAT SAFIN: Just because sometimes you feel uncomfortable with your shots or you're running not in the right direction because you don't feel the game sometimes. Now you feel the game, you play a bit easier. You just to get to play inside of the court. Sometimes when you are out of confidence, you don't see what going to happen in the next shot, where the opponent going to put the ball. But when you're with your confidence, you can see it. This is more important, to get confidence back. It can make your tennis easier.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: I think the people, they were perfect, but sometimes they want too much from me, because they think if I won the US Open, I have to win all of the tournaments of the world. Is not possible. Also, of course when you go back to home, you want to give everything for the people, you want to make them satisfied with your game. Already you get scared when you go onto the court because there is 5,000, 10,000 people watching you. They want more and more each time. It's tough to play also because I made a lot of press. I think it's important because the people, they want to know you a little bit more. It was a little bit tough, but I think next year I'll be perfect there. I have used to do this.

MARAT SAFIN: I think the tennis is going up in Russia. You see we have Kournikova, they drives everybody crazy. Dementieva, also she's coming out. I don't know, she's Top 20, for sure. She's making great tennis. Also Yevgeny. I'm going inside there upstairs. I think it's very important for us and for the country that we are improving our tennis. Also it's very nice, I think.

MARAT SAFIN: They're there. I know the ranking sometimes doesn't matter. There is one guy, he's 117. They can be in the Top 100 right now, in the next month. For sure they going to be next year, I promise. If not, I stop to play tennis, if you want (laughter). Another few guys like 220, 300, but you can see the potential. They can be Top 100. They can be there, but they need some help, they need some good advices. But I think it's going -- we need one more year, one year and a half to get all the guys in the Top 100 because there is the talent.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't think so. I don't want to offend him, but he's too young. I think, first of all, he has to make it to the Top 100, first step. Second step is the Top 50. Third step is already Top 20. If he can pass all these steps, if he is Top 50, maybe I would change my mind. For the moment, no. Also the kid, he said that he discussed about how to play against Fabrice. He said he didn't ask Marat Safin, but he asked another person. I mean, what is this?

MARAT SAFIN: No. 1, and after I retired.

MARAT SAFIN: I think everybody going out because it's difficult to practice in Russia. It's different life. You don't have many things for practice there. I mean, all the guys are going to Germany, coming to Spain. I think they're making good choices because it's a big school there, Germany, Spain especially. It's very good school for the young players. You can see how many, 14 Spanish guys in the Top 100. Spain is quite small. I mean, it means there's a lot of potential there. It's very important for them to start there because there's satellites, you have to pass through all the satellites. I don't understand when the Russian goes to Japan. I don't want to say anything against the people who are going there, but I think is more important to go to Spain and try your power there. If you are good there, don't worry, you going to be Top 100.

MARAT SAFIN: Probably both things. There are futures, satellites, but it's not enough schools, not enough, how to say, to start with it because there's not enough level.

MARAT SAFIN: Also. You go to Spain, you see the draw. It looks likes challenger. I think it's more important.

MARAT SAFIN: Facilities is not a problem. You can practice there. I'm telling you, the level of tournaments is not enough. Also, of course, there is a lot more people in Spain practicing there, a lot more level. You can find, but it's a little difficult. Everybody is traveling all the year. In Spain, for sure, you don't have to move a lot. In Spain you have everything, challengers, satellites, futures, two ATP tours. You don't have to spend a lot of money. You playing in a good level.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. We're trying to, until the end of the year. I don't want to promise anything. I didn't want to promise anything to him. I just want to see - have to be sure what is going on. I have to be sure in my head what I want. For the moment, this is until the end of the year. After, we see.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. He called me when I was in Moscow. It was some good advices.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I have my head also. I have a brain.

MARAT SAFIN: I know. I know. But if I can do this. I play twice, so at least I know how I have to act on the court. Just if I can do it, I can beat him. If I will not do this, these things, it will be a little bit more difficult.

MARAT SAFIN: No, it's just I thought -- I thought about this when I played the USA. I sit alone, myself, me and myself. Because I'm a different person, I think on the court I'm a different guy, different mentality, and we can arrange it to try to try again. I'm not tanking any more matches, I'm not doing stupid things anymore. Maybe it can work. For the moment, is going in the right direction.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. The courts are slow. I think is okay because also we're playing for spectators, first of all. If tennis want to survive, we have to do something. If it's very fast, you don't see any points, any rallies. Nobody will give any money, no sponsorship. We need to do something with this. I think that's why ATP, they make it a little bit slower so at least there's some rallies, it's more interesting.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, they're flying. It's a question of two, three days, just pay more attention. We have enough experience with this, so it's just one, two days, no problem.

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