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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2008

Marat Safin

LONDON, ENGLAND

M. SAFIN/A. Seppi
7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-4

Q. What does it mean to you to get to the second week here?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I didn't made it since a couple of years, I think, and for me it's a big achievement. I'm pleased with the way I'm playing, actually. This is the most important thing.

Q. How was that match on you physically?
MARAT SAFIN: It's okay. It was a tough match. The guy played, I think, one of his best matches. He's a fast player, knows what to do, plays very well on grass, moves very well.
At the end of the match it was pretty tough because we both, I think, couldn't see the ball anymore. I was a little bit worried because I couldn't see the ball at the end.

Q. What happened on the last couple points then?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, two frames and I just -- I couldn't see it anymore. Just all of a sudden you cannot see it. At the score 3-2 I just couldn't see. I explained with the timing, that's it, and I think he did the same.

Q. Do you think you handled the whole light situation a little better than he did because he's sort of a less experienced player and he did a lot more complaining on the changeovers?
MARAT SAFIN: I don't think he complained about anything.

Q. He seemed more outwardly aggravated.
MARAT SAFIN: For him it was a big match, I think, also to beat me in the third round, especially the way he played. I think the match was a really close one, and with a little bit of experience I think he could get to the fifth set. Then you never know what could happen.
But I think just a little bit of experience helped me a lot.

Q. Were you torn a little bit between, well, things are going well right now, maybe we should try to finish, or this is crazy, I really can't see?
MARAT SAFIN: I prefer to play tomorrow than to finish today, because you never know. It's the fifth set and it's a new story. It's better to stop and play tomorrow. It's just a new day and we finish it up.

Q. At what point would you have said something to the officials.
MARAT SAFIN: I think at 3-3 or 3-2 I said, When are we going to stop? I really say, I couldn't speak loud because I didn't want guys to hear about it, because it was really important.
Because every time we played -- that's what I was trying to get a fast point. Just attack or just go to the net or try to make a first serve, just a winner, because I couldn't really see. I couldn't play the point.

Q. What was the official's answer to you?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, we have to stop when we are even. This is not exactly the response that I want to hear, but it looks like it has to be like 5-All, 6-All and then just go the next day.
But it's not really satisfying for me.

Q. Because you were up a break?
MARAT SAFIN: For me, if I want to stop and I am up a break, I think I'm the one who wants to stop, not him. Because he has all the rights also to stop because he is losing and he can't see the ball. I'm the one who doesn't see the ball and I want to stop, which is, I think, pretty fair.

Q. But if he said you had to stop when you were even that would mean you would have given the break back by then.
MARAT SAFIN: It was close, 5-All, and then you never know what's going to happen tomorrow.

Q. How well are you playing now?
MARAT SAFIN: I think pretty good tennis, pretty good level. I think I just start to feel much more comfortable match by match.

Q. When you get momentum from winning, how does that help you?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I get nervous. Like when it's tough moments, like when I was a break up in the fourth set, it was just hold the serve and just continue. But I went double fault and one easy mistake, and that's it.
Just, again, you're back in it to try to make another break, so it's just some moments you need to be more focused.

Q. You've won three now. How far do you think you can go?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm playing against Wawrinka. I've never beat him. I really want to get revenge. I think it should happen here, and I'm looking forward.

Q. You quite rightly didn't have huge expectations coming in because of your second round opponent. Have you looked at the draw the last couple days and set a new goal for yourself?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, match by match. It's just you don't want to have a lot of expectations, because when you start to have a lot of expectations you just end up losing in the third round to God knows who.
Just for me, I'm just trying to get as close as I can to top 50. This is my goal just heading into the summer in the U.S. I think it should make a really huge difference. I would love to have seeded in the US Open.
Now that I have a chance to get there, why not? I'm on the second week of the Grand Slam and I'm playing against Wawrinka. I think just have a chance there, so why not? I think there is a chance, and you take it.

Q. Will you be buying any more plane tickets?
MARAT SAFIN: No. Well, I'll try to postpone until Monday.

End of FastScripts

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