US OPEN

September 5, 1998

Marat Safin

Q. Did you purposely set up your schedule to play clay courts coming into the US Open?

MARAT SAFIN: No. I just -- I like to play in Europe more. All the clay courts are in Europe. I prefer to stay in Europe because it's very close to my house. If you want to play in hard court, you have to go to America. I don't like this.

MARAT SAFIN: No, I like. But it's too much time for me because if I'm very far from home, two weeks, I'm finished.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I said before, I lost six first rounds. I just came here, I don't know, to make something, to try to make something. And I lost first round of New Haven to Woodforde. I was playing better, much better than before. I played unbelievable tennis in Long Island. After I play better and better with each match. I take more confidence from each match. Because I beat Berasategui, Dewulf, and I'm playing quite good here.

MARAT SAFIN: Maybe I'm more clever than before because now I know what I have to do in the difficult moments of the match, of my game, because since the French Open I make six first rounds. Now I have to know -- what I have to do, what I need to do in this situation.

MARAT SAFIN: She enjoy, for sure, because she beat me all the time (laughter).

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. It's normal that she beat me, I think, in this age. It was nice game we played. We spend a lot of time playing matches. It's really nice.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. But before I didn't have so much power. All my balls was going not so fast. So she get easy, for her it was easy.

MARAT SAFIN: No, for sure. When you are losing to a girl, I say, "What are you doing? It's not normal." But it happens in this age.

MARAT SAFIN: I was just 12 years old --

MARAT SAFIN: What's being teased?

MARAT SAFIN: One more time?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, for sure. It's normal. Everybody telling me, "How can you lose to this girl? I mean, it's not normal." But I was losing the next day again, so.

MARAT SAFIN: It was in Bollettieri Academy. I was just there for two weeks.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I think I make more than something because I beat Gustafsson. He was Top 10 before, after I beat the youngster from the United States Dent, now Muster. He was No. 1 in the world. I think I beat a lot of people that are playing unbelievable tennis. So it's more confidence for me.

MARAT SAFIN: Last match I won, after we finished to play these games.

MARAT SAFIN: This tournament?

MARAT SAFIN: No.

MARAT SAFIN: No. Because I have to play -- I have to improve my game to win this tournament. I think I'm not playing so well to win this tournament.

MARAT SAFIN: I have to improve my volley, I have to improve my forehand, backhand, serve, and my head for sure.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. But I have to improve more to win this tournament.

MARAT SAFIN: I have to be maybe not so nervous on these moments, just to think and not going for too much, just to think each ball, when you're hitting each ball, what you have to play.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes. I was going for too much. It was my, I don't know, I had to stop and say, "What is happen now on the court? What I have to do? What I have to play?" I was going just all the way playing for too much, make bad decisions in the game.

MARAT SAFIN: I think it's motivation for me, Grand Slam. I just play, I don't know what happened, but I play very well in Grand Slam.

MARAT SAFIN: Five-set matches?

MARAT SAFIN: I don't know. Five sets, it's too much I think for me, because I am losing concentration every time. Like today, the third set, it was 6-1 or maybe 6-2. I lose completely my concentration.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: Spending? I'm not spend so much money because I didn't win so much money. I have nothing to spend. I think just for travel, to pay my coach, to buy some things, but nothing special.

MARAT SAFIN: A lot of things. Maybe a house for me, a car, nice car, really nice car.

MARAT SAFIN: Too much for me. Mercedes maybe.

MARAT SAFIN: Not bad, huh?

MARAT SAFIN: No. But if you're asking me this question, and I play against Sampras, what do you want to hear? I mean, if I play against Sampras, it's 90% that I will lose, I think so. I think so. Maybe you think, I don't know, other way. But I think I don't have so much chances against Sampras because he was seven years, how many years No. 1?

MARAT SAFIN: Five is a lot of experience for him.

MARAT SAFIN: No comment. I don't know. I don't know. I believe in our president. I think in two or three weeks, it will be okay. I hope so. . I think there are clever people there. I think it will be okay. I hope so. I believe.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: Sometimes I go to Russia. Normally I stay in Spain, but now I am traveling Russia and Spain, because my parents are there, so I want to see them. I don't know, maybe each month I go there.

MARAT SAFIN: No, no. Because I have to make -- I was a little bit tired, so I have to take massage and these things, take a shower, relax.

MARAT SAFIN: No, no.

MARAT SAFIN: No, I'm not kidding. Is like this.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I'm just a player who is 60 in the world. Nothing special.

MARAT SAFIN: Huh?

MARAT SAFIN: No.

MARAT SAFIN: I don't understand this.

MARAT SAFIN: No, because I didn't -- I wasn't there in this moment. I was traveling.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, yeah, I talk maybe each two days.

MARAT SAFIN: It's a difficult moment. The weather is very cold (laughter). No, it's nothing special, they told me.

MARAT SAFIN: My parents work.

MARAT SAFIN: My mother is a coach and my father is a director of the club, tennis club.

MARAT SAFIN: Moscow, in the same club. She was my coach. Sparta Club in Moscow.

MARAT SAFIN: No. Just play my game. I don't have too much potential to make a lot of things. I just hit the ball, serve well maybe. But nothing special.

MARAT SAFIN: For me, it's a nice match for me. To play against Sampras, he's No. 1 in the world. He was No. 1 when I was ten years old. It's very nice for me.

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