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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 17, 2009

Marat Safin

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

J. ISNER/M. Safin
6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your sister said that she seldom goes into an interview where your name isn't brought up. Do you often get questions about your sister in your interviews, or is it a one way?
MARAT SAFIN: Lately, yes. I don't mind to answer the questions. It's okay. I can live with that.

Q. Can you just give us your thoughts about how things went today in your match against Isner?
MARAT SAFIN: Boring. Difficult match. Great server. Didn't find myself comfortable on the court any time in the match. That's why the match was 6-4, 6-4 and without really any chances.

Q. What happened on the point when the ball was flat?
MARAT SAFIN: Flat?

Q. Yes. Did that ever happen to you before?
MARAT SAFIN: No, first time. But didn't help me a lot.

Q. You have said this will be your last year, I guess. Is that still what you're sticking to?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, there's a thousand first times I have to answer this question. Yeah, plan for the end of the year and I will see.
But for the moment, I will stick to my plan and I want to make it the last one.

Q. How tough is his serve?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it's just if you're feeling comfortable on the court and you are a little bit confident, then it's a little bit easier. But it's not as difficult as Roddick's serve or as Karlovic.
The thing is, if you're not serving well yourself, of course you're going to find yourself under pressure. You need to return, and of course extra pressure doesn't help you much. And that's why when you have to return, you don't return.
Also for the baseline you can't do anything. You start to play with him, and eventually you end up playing like him, which is not his best game. But that's -- it's a sad story.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about your struggles here?
MARAT SAFIN: There's no struggles. It's just that I hated to play always against the big servers and the guys playing without any rhythm. They are playing one shot, one ball guess inside the court, and another one flies five meters out. So there is no game, so it's give for me to get the rhythm from these players.

Q. I just meant about playing in this tournament over the years.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I've had up and downs, of course. But it's a little bit comfortable because the balls are flying here a little bit more than other tournaments. Yeah, I've been struggling pretty much in this tournament and not really enjoying it.
But that's how things are. Not really fun. I thought things would change sooner or later, but eventually not. It didn't change. I've been looking for it. I've been coming for as many times I could to try and change it, but it never come.

Q. If I could just ask you a question about Nadal. When he first came on the tour, he's always been very comfortable on clay. Has it surprised you how he's been able to develop his game on the other surfaces as well and become such a dominant player on the other surfaces?
MARAT SAFIN: He's very enthusiastic, and he's just into the game and he's 100% concentrated on the game. He has a lot of just motivation to get better and better.
Of course he's much more talented than he looks, because also a lot of people thought he doesn't have such great hands, but apparently he has unbelievable touch. He sees the ball quite well, unbelievable athlete.
So just it's easier to adapt yourself to other surfaces, and he adapt very well. Also he improved his serve and decided to go to the net. Just he breaks everybody mentally. Before the match, everybody knows that they don't have any chance.
He learns how to play on other surfaces, and I think it just was amazing. Nobody thought actually he managed to play great on grass, but he made it. It's really surprising, but it also makes -- you can take the head off in front of him to show his -- my appreciation that he managed to do that in such a short period of time.

Q. He's also defending champion at the next two Slams. Would you say he has any chance given the level of competition?
MARAT SAFIN: He will win them again. He will win them. What's the problem. If he's not injured and he's playing well, so he will win it again.

Q. What about the US Open?
MARAT SAFIN: He has all the chance. But I don't know, for some reason he didn't play very well on that tournament, in US Open, but I think he has a chance. This year will be his year. I think he going to manage, because he's playing too good.

Q. Over your career, you've played a lot of fabulous players: Rafa, Federer, Sampras. Not breaking it down surface by surface, but overall, who do you think the best player you've ever played is?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I played Nadal only once, but from what I see, I think that Nadal is better than everybody. I play against Federer many times, and he just surprised me every time. Each time the way he's moving the ball, the way he changes the pace, the way he's moving, the way he's destroying your game, basically.
Takes him four games to destroy you completely. He serves pretty well, he returns, and that's it. Eventually, you just gonna break down.

Q. He's just 22. Do you think in a number of years we could be talking about him breaking...
MARAT SAFIN: No, I was talking about Federer before. I think Nadal, because -- I was talking about Federer, because the way he's changing the pace and the way he's changing the game and the way he's moving on the court and the way he makes you look ridiculous on the court with his movement.
The greatest thing that he has, it's, yeah, three games and you are over. (laughter.)
But Nadal, he got into his brain. Nadal, he just manage to get into his brain. Psychologically Federer cannot beat Nadal psychologically. But tennis-wise, I think Federer is better.

Q. How did he get into his brain?
MARAT SAFIN: Maybe by beating him many times.

Q. You've had some wonderful highs and pretty big lows. Do you know why?
MARAT SAFIN: It's me. It's my tennis. It's my career. Everybody's different, and that's how I am. That's a good question after ten years of my career, huh?

End of FastScripts

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