US OPEN

September 3, 2000

Marat Safin

MARAT SAFIN: Definitely not on the court because, I mean, actually when I finished the second set, I was a little bit thinking how to hold my serve. Just because I was a little bit tired, was too much -- because I was winning actually. I was thinking, "One more set. I have to start the third set at least holding the serve and after I will get in the game back." Just I didn't expect that it going to change so quickly because it was 6-1, 6-3 in half an hour or less. I don't know, it was very fast. Actually, in the third set, okay, I can do it 6-1, but now I'm going to concentrate a little bit more, move a little bit more on the court, try to hold my serve, approach a little bit on the return. The same situation, 6-3. I couldn't do anything because he start also to play better. I gave him confidence in the third set, 6-1. Of course, the guy, he's with a lot of experience. I mean, he's a huge player. He was Top 20. He's 25 now, playing great tennis. I gave him confidence in the third set, so he start to play much better. I just stopped. I didn't move from the court, so it was also 6-3. After, I was a break down in the fifth. It was 6-1, 6-3, 2-Love for him. I went crazy. How is possible? Actually, I'm not playing so bad. How it's possible that happening to me these things? Actually, my serve didn't work so well the last three sets. I mean, to play like this, I cannot -- to play against these guys, you have to serve a little bit better, like first two sets, good serve. Actually, it was quite easy for me on my serve. The games was quite easy. It also gives me confidence. Finally, I mean, the break, it was the question of two, three points. Who going to be more lucky? Is a lottery. The final set tiebreaker, it's what you want to expect. Somebody going to risk, and other guy going to try to put the ball inside and try to hold the situation. I was trying to not risk too much, but at least doing something new, something special, hit the ball sometimes because I cannot do it all the time. Like normal human beings, I was afraid. I had eyes bigger than my face. Finally, I made it. I'm happy. I'm still nervous. I'm still on the match. I hope it will not happen to me again to let the guy to play his best game.

MARAT SAFIN: (Smiling.)

MARAT SAFIN: I just explained. I lost my concentration at all. I wanted to hold my serve, try to start again, the third set. I just lost my concentration. I mean, how you can lose 6-1, 6-3, 2-Love? I just lost. I was out of the court. I start to play another game. My game was quite easy. I mean, try to put pressure on the other guy, play inside the court, go to the net, do my game. When I lost the concentration, I start to play a little bit far sometimes from the baseline, which is not my game. Of course, the score, if you play another game, was 6-1, 6-3, 2-Love. Where is that thinking? "Now I can lose." You start to play, try to play your game, to play the game like two sets ago. I tried, at least. It works sometimes; sometimes not. It's already difficult. Guy's playing unbelievable tennis. It's difficult to play your best game without concentration. So at the end it came finally.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: Why I needed?

MARAT SAFIN: I mean, I don't think that the people, they will like, if somebody will smell on the court, smell bad, no?

MARAT SAFIN: I like, you know, take shower, to have new clothes, new stuff. I just forgot my socks in the hotel. I came with one pair of socks, which was for practice. I came and I didn't have any socks left. I asked Kiefer to give me. No, first Jeff, he gave me. After another rain delay, I ask Kiefer for the socks and for this one (indicating shirt).

MARAT SAFIN: Adidas, no? Yes (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: Tarango.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes, socks (laughter). Everybody sponsor me today.

MARAT SAFIN: Nothing. Trying to find the socks and the shorts. Trying to find Kiefer, at least. He was there somewhere. I didn't want to take his bag, open his bag. I send Alex to look for him to give me some socks and shorts. Finally he gave me. I was lucky.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. Twice five sets, four sets. Already today was a tiebreaker. What can I do? The people, also they know how to play tennis. Gianluca, Guardiola, Sebastien, they also players. You cannot say why? It also depends on me. The other guys, they play tennis also. They can play unbelievable, unbelievable game. I need to play five sets to beat them, not three. I think they also players, you have to respect them, no? Agree?

MARAT SAFIN: I cannot tell exactly. I don't know. I don't like the situation when you stay in the locker room and start to think, "Oh, my God, I'm down in the fifth set. Tiebreaker is 5-4. I don't know what to do with the ball." It's a lot of headache because you don't know. You start to think all the time. Of course, you get nervous because you don't know what to do. I don't like this situation. Is better to be there, and you don't think about these things. When you go to the court from the locker room, you're completely -- you are scared. I don't know, you think too much on the locker room. I think you can become crazy like this. It's going to rain again for two weeks.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I was like this on the floor (indicating praying), "Please, please, please, out, out, out." I don't want even think what going to be if it's going to get in. I don't want. I don't want to know. I don't want to think even about this match again, only for 20 more minutes with you guys.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but it was different because it was clay court. You have to run twice more than here. Here you can serve, easy points. You have much more easy points than in Roland Garros. You have to run to beat the opponent. You have to serve, you have to run - run a lot. Here, it's different game. A lot of easy points. But I'm fit. I'm fit. For this year, I'm fit for US Open, I hope so. If I'm not going to die until tomorrow, I'm going okay.

MARAT SAFIN: No, because they were new. They are too new. I string them yesterday. I didn't want to -- I promise to myself that I will not do it today. Actually, I was quite nice on the court, no (smiling).