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WIMBLEDON

June 28, 2007

Marat Safin

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Marat Safin. Questions.

Q. Grass has historically not been your best surface, but you have played Roger very tough on grass, and you beat him before. Nobody quite knows which Marat Safin will be there to play Federer in the next round.
MARAT SAFIN: For me it's another opportunity to play a great match. First of all, for me it's a huge challenge. Centre Court, play against Federer. He's playing pretty well. He's playing great tennis.
If I want to have a chance at least to be close to beat him, I have of course to put up my best game, go for it. Also I have nothing to lose because he's the favorite here. He's playing pretty good tennis on grass. It's his best surface, I guess.
But also, like I said, I have nothing to lose. I need to play my tennis, stay focused, take my chances. For sure there are going to be. Just wait and see. Of course, why not? Like I said, it's a challenge. Why not?

Q. When you were serving at 2-3 in the third set today, up 40-15, he hit a ball that was clearly long. The baselines-woman failed to call it out, and the umpire, refused your request to overrule. Do you think this Hawk-Eye system is any more accurate than these lines-people?
MARAT SAFIN: Linesmen are not Hawk-Eye. All the human beings are making mistakes, and it's okay.

Q. Do you think Hawk-Eye is accurate?
MARAT SAFIN: Hawk-Eye is the best thing we can have right now.

Q. Do you think it's accurate?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, yeah.

Q. You complained about the prices of the food at Wimbledon. What about the standard of the food that players are served? Should they be given more international cuisine?
MARAT SAFIN: Compared to the prices, for a plate of pasta, it's costing around £10, right? For £10, which is $20, you can have a great pasta at Cipriani in New York.

Q. What is the quality like?
MARAT SAFIN: Definitely not the Cipriani of New York. Everybody knows this restaurant. I think it's one of the best restaurants in New York. Also in Moscow, one of the most expensive, and we have a better pasta for 20 bucks, that's for sure.

Q. You mentioned it's important for you to keep your focus against Federer. Is that a struggle for you in every match, keeping focus?
MARAT SAFIN: It's kind of complicated sometimes when I'm playing well because sometimes you start to have your fears because you're a little bit under pressure sometimes, you're not playing well. Also you're too tight.
Of course, it's difficult to move, it's difficult to hold the concentration balance. You start to panic. When you try to loosen up, you loosen up too much. It's kind of difficult to find golden point.
Unfortunately been like this for already quite long time. So hopefully look like I played pretty well these last two matches. To play against Federer, of course it will be easy to keep the focus, that's for sure.

Q. Do you bring your own sandwiches?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, sure. No, of course not. Of course, I have to deal with that. A lot of players, they have to deal with that. Of course, we can have better quality, that's for sure.

Q. Can you talk about your opponent today? How do you think he played?
MARAT SAFIN: I never saw the guy. I never saw him play. A lot of people, they said that he's pretty tough, serves well, good volleys, good hands, very dangerous player. I saw they were right. All of them were right. He beat Gasquet in Halle. He's a great player. He knows how to play.

Q. You mentioned after your first match you weren't very confident. What degree of confidence do you need going into a match against Federer?
MARAT SAFIN: All of it. You need have all of it if you want to compete on the same level as him. You have to bring up your best game.
But, of course, the first match is always tough because you kind of nervous, it's a grass court, it's windy, then it's raining, it's stopping, it's raining, it's stopping.
All these factors, of course it's pretty tough for the first match to play great tennis and be as confident as you can be.
But looks today like I played well, moved quite well. Looking forward for the match.

Q. Where is your level of confidence now?
MARAT SAFIN: There. We'll see tomorrow (smiling).

Q. What do you like most about Wimbledon and what do you dislike most about Wimbledon, apart from the prices?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, of course, what I like is the tradition. What I like is they improved a lot of site. Great facilities for the players to be inside. I mean, like the garden upstairs. The restaurant area, plenty of space. Pretty comfortable. You can go to Aorangi through the tunnel. You don't have to go with all the people. Great locker rooms. Great showers. No, showers is really important. If you see them, you understand what I'm talking about.

Q. And dislike?
MARAT SAFIN: And dislike? Like I said, a little bit the quality of the food and, of course, the prices. I mean, like it's not enough -- an extra £5 doesn't hurt anybody. To eat strawberries and have a cup of coffee at least, and, of course, the same day is the same thing: chicken, pasta. They could have done better for the prices.

Q. You faced a lot of breakpoints in these first two matches, but you've also defended almost every one of them. Are you concerned you're facing so many breakpoints or how feeling good you defended so many of them?
MARAT SAFIN: Both ways. Well, Federer also, he is even the best player in the world, he has also has these Love-30 things, 15-40, also defends them pretty well. It's not to be scared of defending them. It's just to face them and win them because, anyway, anybody can have chance against you and anybody can get there.
With two lucky shots, with one -- like two lucky shots, that's it, you're down 15-40 easy in a matter of seconds (snapping fingers). All of a sudden, you find yourself in not a really pleasant position.
You need to face, you need to face in the right way, know what you're doing, how you're going to play. To make a long story short, just be careful. It's just a breakpoint. You didn't lose the game yet.

End of FastScripts

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