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SHANGHAI ATP MASTERS 1000

October 12, 2009

Marat Safin

SHANGHAI, CHINA

M. SAFIN/M. Gong
6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel tonight playing the local favorite? But half the stadium seemed to be cheering for you, so quite a strange situation?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, the situation was slight change from the Beijing conditions, because the balls was a little bit slightly different, and the court was slightly faster. Also playing in the night, so it's a little bit -- I don't know. It was tough to get used to it.
Plus the guy is playing pretty good tennis. I didn't expect he going to play so good. He wasn't really choking in the beginning of the match where I can take advantage of it. The guy was pretty solid. So it puts even more pressure because especially don't know the guy. You don't know how he plays, and that's kind of difficult to concentrate yourself, especially when he's a wildcard.

Q. But you had a good week in Beijing and you seemed to get your rhythm tonight, especially in the second set?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I played a little bit slightly better last week, even though that I have terrible four months. I'm trying -- I'm hitting, trying to serve, hold my serve, trying to be relaxed on the court, because when you start to get tight, a little bit too complicated to play and against anybody. I'm trying myself, run a little bit, play some forehand, backhands, and line, try to be aggressive.

Q. How do you feel? Everybody knows it's the farewell year this year, and you're getting a lot of attention because of that. How does that make you feel?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, actually, from the beginning of the year, everybody asking, Are you really going to retire or not? What are you going to be doing afterwards? It's kind of burns you out, answering the same questions. So it's kind of annoying already.
It's coming to end. It's coming last three weeks I'm going to play, so I'm looking forward and it's -- of course, people are trying to be nice to me, so I guess knowing I'm going to be retiring, they try to support me even more.
That's what happens last three weeks actually in Asia, very nice feeling. It's going to be over, so I need to enjoy it.

Q. Were you happy when you saw the draw when you saw who you were playing? I mean, no disrespect to anyone, but...
MARAT SAFIN: Of course. Well, to be honest, I'm not going to lie: Yes, I was pretty happy. It's better than playing Cilic or somebody who was on ATP tour. So, yes, it's better this way.

Q. Do you think that this could give you some confidence maybe to go a little more relaxed into round 2?
MARAT SAFIN: More to get the rhythm and to see the court, and try to feel -- like I said, it's a little bit slightly different, and you get used to it. So now it's more or less I played two sets, it will be easier in the second round, even though the opponents are pretty tough, but it gives me a chance that I'm moved around already, I get the groove, and I got my rhythm, which is pretty good.

Q. Of course you're looking to win this tournament?
MARAT SAFIN: Of course. Another three, too.

Q. You've struggled this year to win back-to-back matches. Do you think it could be different this week in Shanghai? Obviously you hope it will, but do you think it could be different?
MARAT SAFIN: I hope. Only thing I can do is to hope. I had very close calls in May when I could go into top 20 and maintain myself there for quite some time, and the matches slipped away.
So I kind of lost the confidence, couldn't do it for a long time, and then Beijing came and I played two good rounds, and so hopefully I'm going to try to win the second one, but like said, unfortunately the opponents are quite tough.
Cilic has been playing pretty good, made of the finals, so hopefully Berdych win, I have a better record against him, and then I have a chance.

Q. I'm sure you've been asked this before this year, but how would you like to be remembered as a tennis player?
MARAT SAFIN: As a decent tennis player. This would be another one that -- thanks God I'm not the one who is the young promising person who got old. Thanks God I'm not in that stage.
So I made a pretty good, decent career, so I could be remembered as a decent player, which for me it's quite important, because a lot of people have passed through tennis. Some people, their status is rising star and never made it.
I choose something, I earn something, earn respect, good with all the players, hopefully as a nice person outside of the court and a decent player inside of court and also a fair player. I think I've been nice on the court to everybody. Nice feeling to be remembered by that.

Q. Just now you compared your rival today with Roger Federer. Would you give more comment on him?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I don't know. How old is he? Like 22?

Q. 22.
MARAT SAFIN: 22? He's pretty similar game to Federer but a little bit more -- he hits the ball pretty flat and pretty fast, lack of experience, good hands. He knows what to do, but unfortunately unexperienced, like I said. He has good game. At 22, he should do some results with his tennis.

Q. What are your feelings about this new Masters 1000? And what are your thoughts about this -- you've seen the stadium a little bit. You've practiced the outside courts.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, the guys did a great job. Tournament director has been here for quite some time, and he did excellent job, and I just want to congratulate on that.
It's not easy to fix tournament just to make it, but also to make at very good level. The food, the facility, the way they take care of us, and whole thing, there is not one thing missing. Just everything been taking care of so professionally that you can see that the guy has been around for a long time.
Well, the stadium is way too big, but I think they overdid it a little bit. They tried too hard, but hopefully they can use it for something else except only tennis. But otherwise I can say thanks a lot for doing this for tennis.

End of FastScripts

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