Safin八強賽後訪問
M. SAFIN/A. Roddick
2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-7, 6-4
An interview with:
MARAT SAFIN
Q. You called the trainer. What was wrong, and what
did he do? Did you think about stopping right there?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I didn't thought about stopping. But
I was so bothering the, how you say, abductor.
Q. The hip? Groin?
MARAT SAFIN: Inside the legs, on the left side (smiling).
That was really bothering me at the beginning. Then just
when I was returning the serves, I pulled a little bit.
Then I took some painkillers, and that's it.
Q. This is the best birthday gift you could have, or you're
still hoping for something else?
MARAT SAFIN: No, I can't ask for anything else. Is probably
the best birthday I ever had, especially when it's like 15,000
people that's standing in there, you know, singing the "Happy
Birthday." I mean, it's really nice. And after especially the
win, beating No. 1 in the world, it's really nice.
I'm really -- it was really nice.
Q. This is your best performance since when?
MARAT SAFIN: On my birthday (smiling)?
Q. No. You lost here on your birthday two years ago. When is
the last really terrific match you played?
MARAT SAFIN: I don't even remember. Probably when I won Davis
Cup. That was 2002, December of 2002. And since then I didn't
really play any great matches because of some circumstances.
Q. People who saw that final against Sampras almost describe
it as a perfect game of tennis. Do you feel like you've got
that game in you to pull out against someone like Andre Agassi?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but it's -- you cannot compare the tennis
I played against Pete Sampras, because is kind of tennis that
probably I'll never play in my life again, especially against
these kind of players, like Pete serving and volleying.
But against Andre, you have to play a bit different game. For
me, it was really nice to play a few long matches just to feel
the pace of the ball, you know, a little bit. I was missing --
I couldn't read where the ball was going, a little bit of feeling
of the points.
I mean, I would have to play much better than -- I can't play
any better at this stage like I played today. I think it's
probably my best tennis at the moment. But I think some things
you can improve and just take, I would say -- if you really
analyze the situation, I think I could -- I could play a little
bit just better, difficult -- different, a little bit different.
Different game you play against Andre. Not better; different.
Q. You were slowing down at the end, taking your time between
points. Was it because you were feeling tired or was it deliberate?
MARAT SAFIN: No. This kind of moments, you don't want to rush. Is
the last thing you want to do, especially when it's fifth set and
you've been running for three hours, and every point is really
important at that stage because every shot basically, because you
make couple of mistakes in one game and they cost you a match.
And the fifth set is like you need to take time, you know, you need
to think little bit how you going to play the point and just be
concentrated, you know, like a little bit slow down a little bit.
Just think a little bit more before you do anything. You don't
want to rush.
Q. How are you feeling physically?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I could feel much better, I mean. But it's
okay. I'm still young. It's not like I'm really getting old.
I will have to be really fresh against Andre if I want to have
a chance to beat him, because he played not even half of the
time that I spent on the court. I mean, he's 33. But, still,
you know, you need to run against him, you need to -- I don't
know, you have to be there.
Q. What do you do when you have such a long match, not have
much time? It would be tempting to sleep for 20 hours.
MARAT SAFIN: No, just have a little bit of massage, you know,
just sleep. You definitely need a few extra hours to sleep. Have
some beers, you know, for the muscles to relax, and for myself
also. You really need that. I really do.
But just, you know, nothing special. Have a treatment today,
tomorrow, definitely tomorrow. And let's see how fresh I'm going
to be against Andre.
Q. Will you have birthday cake?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I will. It's getting late actually.
Q. You played a great fourth set. What happened in the
tiebreaker?
MARAT SAFIN: What happened? A few games before when I had a
chance of breaking him. I mean, there was one game that I had
a breakpoint, and I little bit rush. I rush it too much. Because
I was feeling the moment, "Now is the moment to break him." And
he was really missing a few balls, and I was feeling this is
moment to take over him.
And I start to rush a little bit. And I had -- I tried to hit
the winner from 10 meters outside of the court, into the fans
almost. So basically these kind of moments, you don't have to
let it go, because it can be only one moment in the whole match,
especially against Andy. I mean, there -- every moment like this
is really important.
And I was kind of thinking about this afterwards. I was like, you
know, it really bothered me and really hurt me, these kind of
things. Because it cost me so much, you know, to win these two
sets and make him a break. It was really important. So basically
I put a little bit too much pressure on myself.
And in the tiebreak, I just -- I didn't do anything, just to win
it. I mean, I was just let him play. And it was the wrong decision.
I should have a little bit gone for the shots, a little bit just
try to do something else, just try to go to the net, you know,
something. I was a little bit, you know, I don't know, I didn't
do anything to win it. He deserved to win. That's why the score
was -- he was really pushing. The forehand was working. He served
quite well.
Q. You worked so hard to break him, then you go down 15-40, two
breakpoints. Did you think you had lost all your thrust?
MARAT SAFIN: That's really, really, really -- I knew it could happen,
and it happened actually. Because when I make him a break for me, it
was real important to keep my serve and win the first point. 15-Love
would give me extra confidence, you know, for the game. Then he make --
it was just, you know, too passive I play, and that's why he made a
winner forehand, and then it started just didn't go my way.
But he went for the shot, I mean, 30-40. I mean, the shot would go
through, over the net, then I would be in trouble. Then I was just
kind of a little bit under pressure because I didn't want to lose
this moment and I didn't want to start all over again. 5-All, 6-All,
you know, it could go anywhere. It could go to Roddick or it could
go to me. But I don't know, I didn't want to spend -- just start
all over again, because is too much, too much pressure.
But thanks God, I served well at 15-40, and he went for the shot
on the forehand, which I think was really good idea for him, but
not at that moment, because it make a winner, that score is really
difficult.
But I was there. Try my best.
Q. How did it feel on match point? Suddenly you approach, and the
volley is in front of you?
MARAT SAFIN: You have to do something. You definitely have to do
something. If you want to win, you have to create some kind of a
situation to win it. You cannot just be passive and waiting for
the mistakes of the other person. He's No. 1 in the world. I mean,
he's there. He knows how to play tennis, and he knows how to hit
and how to play the big moments. I mean, he won US Open.
So just you have to. You have to create the situation. You have
to do something, extra something for him to make a mistake, or
at least leave you a short ball or just something. You cannot
wait. You can't. Can't. Is not my game. Is not the place to do
these kind of things.
Q. Considering how much you played in the last eight months, are
you surprised to be where you are?
MARAT SAFIN: (Inaudible) really surprised. I thought it's going
to cost me a lot more to come back, after like so many months off,
because you lose completely the game. You don't see anymore. You
cannot -- you don't feel the moment, you don't feel when to go to
the net, when to stay back, what to do, the serve, the returns,
all these things, you basically have to start from the zero, go
to the basics.
But I mean, I did a great job. I have to sacrifice a lot of things,
and I sacrifice all my December just staying, working hard. Just
day by day, you know, a few hours a day running and just, you know,
make everything to come back, all the feelings, all the shots and,
you know, everything you had.
You have to work it day to day. It's not like coming in like two
weeks. It's not coming just like after the matches. The confidence
coming after the matches, but all those feelings, you need to work
on them. And it cost me a lot.
Q. Where did you go camping?
MARAT SAFIN: I went camping in Pinecrest, Yosemite Park in
California.
Q. It's beautiful.
MARAT SAFIN: I know. I know. I had problems. I tried to come
back in LA. I tried to play this tournament and I couldn't
play anymore, so I was like a little bit upset because I saw
so many doctors at the beginning of my injury, but nobody could
tell me what I have, what kind of -- actually what I have, what
kind of injury I have, those things. They had doubts and they
had versions, but nobody could just tell me, "If you do this,
you will be okay."
They help me out in LA, a few friends of mine, they took me to
really good doctor, sports doctor, Dr. Feder (phonetic), which
is taking care of the basketball players and the hockey players,
and he is also doing -- he is also doctor for the movies. Yes,
yes, because actors, they get injured also (laughter). I don't
know. Somehow. Don't ask me how.
But he really explained to me what I had.
Q. What did you have?
MARAT SAFIN: I had small cut in the ligaments and I had problems
with my meniscus and cartilage, and I also had some problems with
the nerve, which is passing through here. So he just put me a cast.
Was a simple thing because you cannot do operation, because everything
is too small, the bones, the ligaments. You cannot sew it, you
cannot do anything there. You can just destroy it. It is not
something that needs operation.
So what I had to do is just, you know, wait, wait. It took me one
month and a half. And I had to walk with the cast. I had nothing
to do. I went to camping. I was a little bit depressed. So I went
camping. I took a car and drove to the gas station by the map,
see where is it, everything, you know, because my way was going
to Oregon. It's too far away. I went to Yosemite Park. And I had
really good time. And really just is good to think a little bit,
no people.
You need these kind of things.
Q. You were all by yourself?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. Me and my coach and his girlfriend.
Q. In a tent?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.
Q. Where did you go fishing? Was it with Michael Chang and he
taught you how to be patient?
MARAT SAFIN: No. Fishing like was great. We were staying
like eight hours a day on a boat, you know, just sitting
with our beers. We had everything. Whatever you catch, we
cook and we eat.
Q. Was it hard to cast?
MARAT SAFIN: You manage it.
Q. Cast was on your left wrist?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes. But the problem was I couldn't swim. Was
great weather. But was okay. We had wine at the night, you
know, with the dinner. So it was really, really good. Just
make your mind a little bit relax. Just chill out. What else
you can do?
Q. How are you going to commemorate your birthday?
MARAT SAFIN: What is mean?
Q. Celebrate.
MARAT SAFIN: Not much I can do about it. Not much. We'll see.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports...
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 218.175.234.91
ALL-RUSSIANS 近期熱門文章
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
