WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2005

Marat Safin

Q. How do you think you played today?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, not good enough to win this match. Didn't take my opportunities at the beginning, actually in the first set. I couldn't adjust my game to him. I was struggling with the returning of the serve. Just couldn't find my game there.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I'm out for the next year. So next year I will talk more about it.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I think the way I've been playing for the past two weeks I think is great. Even though that I lost today and I didn't have really my day and I couldn't play my best tennis. But at the end of the day I'm satisfied finally I found my game on grass. I was a little bit unlucky with the draw. Just have nothing to complain about. I'm pretty happy.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I hope so.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, today was a little bit actually -- was a little bit painful. I had to put some ice before the match. But it's not because -- of course, it's not because of the knee I lost. I'm not finding any excuse. Just now I have enough time to take care of my knee and get ready.

MARAT SAFIN: I have no operation. Why everybody is trying to make me operation? No, I have to make a treatment. I have to really take care of it seriously, and I have to make some procedures with the knee. Whatever the doctor will say, I guess I have to do. He's optimistic about that I don't have to go to any surgery, I don't have to do anything. I was lucky enough to go to the doctor right now, otherwise if it would go a little bit later, I might have the operation. So I was real lucky.

MARAT SAFIN: Well, he played really well. He had nothing to lose basically. He had no pressure whatsoever. He was playing his game. He was serving well. He took his chances. He played pretty solid game. He's really confident right now.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but you never know with these guys. They beat you one day, then next day they can lose to anybody. So this is a little bit -- I don't know. If he plays the same tennis he played today, I think he can do really big things here. But you never know. One day they can play the best tennis, and the other days they just cannot put two balls inside the court. So we'll see what's going to happen with him the day after tomorrow.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I played -- against Philippoussis I played very well. Against Srichaphan, I played really well. In Halle, I played a great tennis. I think I had been the same level as I was in Australia. Just today I was a little bit unlucky. Like I said, I always said, on grass, everything just one, two balls decide all the match. And I didn't take my opportunities in the first set when I had 15-40 to break back. It was a really important game for me because otherwise he would start to mix it up the serve and he start to be -- not to feel too comfortable on the serve. And I would have much more chances in the first set, the second and the third, whatever. If I would have won the first one, I think the match would be completely different way.

MARAT SAFIN: I'm still comfortable. Just I couldn't really find my game against him today. Has nothing to do. He's a tough player. He's a lefty. He serves very well. He moves, he covers the court, he goes to the net. He plays really good tennis. What do you want me to do? I cannot play my best tennis every day. And I didn't really play bad today. I just couldn't find a little bit. I was a little bit uncomfortable with his lefty serve.

MARAT SAFIN: So? I know that.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, for the next four or five years, for sure. I have to deal with that. I can manage it. It's only two weeks on grass, so it doesn't take much.

MARAT SAFIN: No, no. No chance. I will be there. I know the French people, they are hoping for the best. But there is no chance. You have to deal with me (smiling).

MARAT SAFIN: Well, he didn't see like a couple of big ones. But it's okay. I mean, everybody's doing mistakes on the court. If he gets some shit in the match, it doesn't really -- it's against him. It doesn't matter which match you going to umpire, everybody will give him shit because he's the only person who decides basically important points, and really close calls. So he's always the bad one, no matter what he will say. Of course -- but nobody is blaming him. It's a tennis match. That's it. After the match, we shake hands, so that means it's over. There is nothing against him. Of course, he did a couple of big mistakes, really big ones, but we have to deal with that also. Is okay.

MARAT SAFIN: We have actually much more important things to take care of actually, which is the Davis Cup I think. Davis Cup weeks are terrible. And I don't think it's really a matter of if you need two weeks on grass or one week on grass or three weeks. It doesn't really make a big difference. The big difference it makes actually, an issue with the Davis Cup because, for example, we play against -- we coming to Wimbledon, okay? So it's one week of a tournaments, then the Davis Cup. Basically for me, for example, as a guy, I'm not going to go play on clay again. I will try to go to the hard courts. For me, it would be perfect to play Wimbledon, get through one week of practice with the team, then play the Davis Cup, then you have one month off. If you want, you can play clay. If you don't want, you can't play clay. But at least you have one months off. Like this, I have only two weeks. I cannot do nothing. I cannot be with my family because I have to be dependant on the schedule all the time. If, for example, if we beat France and I'm going to the tour of Asia, so basically after Beijing I have to go back, then I have to fly back to Bangkok, instead of making like a US Open, Davis Cup, and then tour to Asia. But because we have so many smart people on ATP Tour, they cannot really figure out in so many years of tennis that's what the players need. This is amazing for me. Is not really about Paris and London should be a little bit further. It's just the people have to use more brain into like to see when to place the Davis Cup. This is more important.

MARAT SAFIN: To who?

MARAT SAFIN: Nobody. Nobody takes responsibility. Everybody is sending you to another guy. "No, go to speak to him." Then you go speak to another one. So after a while you give up, you say, "No, whatever, guys." They complain.