[Interview]Marat Safin 040201
R. FEDERER/M. Safin
7-6, 6-4, 6-2
An interview with:
MARAT SAFIN
Q. I think you probably summed up what we all felt,
just one match too many for the energy, you ran out
of gas?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I was a little bit -- a little bit
too tired to keep up with him with the same rhythm. And
I had to be there from the beginning to the end. And I
felt that I was missing just a little bit - just a little
bit. I didn't need much, but a little bit more, something
more, some extra energy to stay there.
Because basically it went like this. I had a chance in the
first set. And if I would won the first set, it would be a
little bit different story. But still, you know, after I
lose in the first set, then it was a little bit difficult
because he became confidence and it was difficult to keep
up with him.
Q. What has this done in terms of giving you confidence for
the rest of the year?
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, for me it's still great. I would never
think that I would be in the finals this week, I mean, after
what happened before.
But I'm happy. Doesn't matter. I mean, like finals, okay,
could be much better. I should have won, all these things.
But if you look realistically at the picture, I think it's
great for me. Great two weeks. I beat great players. I will
have other chances to beat him in the finals.
But for me, for me personally, it's great. It's good to start
the year this way.
Q. What was wrong with your serve?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, just energy. Because also with the serve,
the legs are making most part of the serve because I need to,
you know, bend your knees and all these things. And I couldn't.
My legs were just too tired to do all this job. And without
serve, is difficult.
If I would have served better, I would have a higher percentage
of first serve, then probably I would have more chances. As I
said, energy.
Q. Did you spend less on the practice courts than you would
normally because of the rest you needed?
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, what do you mean, in the beginning, before
the match?
Q. The two days between the semi and the final. Did you try to
take it easy?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I tried to take it easy. I didn't play two
days ago. I played yesterday and a little bit today. But it's
just -- it's a different story. It's different story. I mean,
when you go into the court, you have to play, it's already final.
I think I played too many sets, I spent too many hours on the
court. And there's nothing you can do.
And especially against these kind of players, like Roger, you
have to do better than that.
Q. Can you get any fitter? Is that what it comes down to?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but you have to look also -- of course, you
can. But it's timing, it's not coming like this (snapping fingers).
You play one day, you don't know how to play tennis, then
straightaway you learn how to play tennis. It's not like this.
It's coming with time.
I was out for eight months. I mean, of course -- of course, you
still need to work, you need to still to do a lot of fitness.
And I mean, for me, it was the first tournament that I played
since Australian Open last year. And I didn't play for one year
so many matches in two weeks.
So, I mean, I cannot complain. I mean, physically, I'm okay. But
just it wasn't enough. I missed a little bit. It's not like it's
a big problem with the fitness. I've been playing against Roddick
and against Agassi five sets.
So it's a little bit difficult.
Q. How frustrating was it, in your terms, to run out of gas today?
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, you cannot just look at the bad part of the
story. You have to look also for the positive parts, you know.
Yeah, you could say, "Okay, I played bad, I should have played
better, this and that." You can find a lot of excuses.
But realistically, I'm happy. I'm satisfied. I don't want to push
myself down because I lost a match against Federer. It's not like
I played against a yo-yo, a guy who doesn't know how to play tennis.
You know what I mean?
Let's give him some credit. He is a big player. He's No. 1 in the
world, sorry to tell you (smiling).
I mean, you need to be really prepared. You need to be really fresh
because he spend -- he didn't play -- he played only I think one
match in four sets. He's fresh, he's fit. You know, he doesn't have
problems -- he didn't have problems all these two weeks. So he's
fresh. It's not a big deal. He just was fresh; I wasn't.
Q. How good a player is he?
MARAT SAFIN: He is a great player. He has all the shots. He has
volley, he has serve. He's most complete player on the tour.
Q. Can you compare him to Pete Sampras?
MARAT SAFIN: No. It's a little bit different story. Yeah, they
have some kind of same things. But I think Federer, he has
better -- he a little bit -- I don't want to take anything from
Pete. I mean, mentally, he was the strongest player on the tour.
He has the biggest serve in the world. He has an unbelievable forehand
and very good hands in the volley. But sometimes he was missing a
little bit the backhand.
So Roger, he has -- he has everything and a backhand. Probably he
doesn't have enough volley like Pete Sampras. But he is really good.
I mean, he can volley. It's a little bit different story.
But Pete, as you can see, he won 14 Grand Slams. And he has a really
good -- he was really, really tough.
Q. Do you feel unfortunate to beat Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi in a
tournament, and not to win a title?
MARAT SAFIN: I don't care. For me, it was really important matches.
For me, it was -- for me personally, I'm satisfied it was even like
this. Because for me to beat Roddick and to beat Agassi, it was really
important.
I mean, I always thought that Agassi was unbeatable for me, and I beat
him. So it's like, okay, you cannot -- that was great matches, great
matches. I'm happy that I won them. But, unfortunately, it took me a
lot of energy.
I wish I could win the final, but it's okay. I can survive that
moment.
Q. Was there a sense you were already satisfied before you got to
the final?
MARAT SAFIN: No. You cannot be satisfied if you have a chance to
win a tournament. You always go for more. You cannot stop at some
point. You always want more, all right? You win one match, you want
another one, another one, another one. And, of course, you want to
win. Especially when you have one match left, you want to win all
the tournament, all the event. And there's a lot of reasons to win
it - a lot of reasons.
Q. When did you know you didn't have enough gas today?
MARAT SAFIN: Just at the practice in the morning, I felt that it
was difficult, really difficult, for me to move. And I tried
to -- that's why -- I tried to -- I was -- maybe I put myself
too much pressure in the first set because I wanted really badly
to win the first set, because it would be different story for me.
Because even if I don't have so much energy, but I could stay,
because he will be under pressure, I would have more chances.
Q. You said last week one of the things you want to aim for this
year is to get up back towards the top. You played the No. 1
player. Do you see what the gap is, and how close you are, how
much you still have to do?
MARAT SAFIN: I'm really close. It's not like I'm really far away.
It's not like I will not have any chances to beat him. I will have
a lot of chances. I beat Roddick when he was No. 1 in the world
here still.
So basically I made a present to Federer (smiling). No, but, is
not so much difference. It will be changing a lot of times, No. 1,
during all this year and next few years. Tennis is very equal
between a lot of guys, like in Top 10. Like five, six guys who
can be No. 1 in the world, and they can be there.
Q. What was going through your head when you walked up to serve
on the wrong side of the court?
MARAT SAFIN: I thought, " It's okay." I was in my mind trying to
just -- that was -- I was looking a little bit for solution, try
to do something. So I was like it was not important this point, it
was really important how to -- you know, I was looking for something
to come back, at least to have a chance to come back.
I made a mistake. It's okay. It could happen to anybody.
Q. Have you ever gone ahead and served to the other side of the
court?
MARAT SAFIN: No.
Q. Do you think anyone can win a calendar-year Grand Slam these
days in men's tennis?
MARAT SAFIN: All four of them?
Q. In one year.
MARAT SAFIN: There is a chance. But I don't think so. I don't think
so. Tennis is too equal, and everybody can beat everybody. I don't
think so. Maybe two a year, yeah, but not all four of them. It takes
a lot of energy and it takes a lot of -- it's too difficult. Too
many tough matches.
Q. How do you feel about your generation being really in control
of tennis with Agassi going to retire, 20 year olds?
MARAT SAFIN: What I'm feeling about the new generation basically?
Q. Yes.
MARAT SAFIN: I think it's great. There's nothing wrong with that.
There's a lot of new guys, a lot of good players. Federer, Roddick,
me, I'm there somewhere, Grosjean. There's a lot of players. But just
very young. We'll be famous in five years. We'll be -- it will be the
same Agassi, Sampras, McEnroe like a few years ago. It's going to be
the same thing.
But it just takes time. You don't have to hurry up. It will come,
everything. It's evolution of tennis (smiling).
Q. Was it offputting to have people yelling out in the stands?
MARAT SAFIN: I mean, they paid the ticket. They paid the ticket
for the final. One guys is half dying, another one is playing his
best tennis, so basically they want to see a little bit of
entertainment, right?
And also it's a little bit frustrating when they start to cheer
you. They try to help you, but then when you're on the court, you
realize that you have a lot of pressure. You know, it's a little
bit difficult to play. And it's really -- it's really sad because
you can't do anything. They really wants to see, and they really
want you to win. You can't. You feel you can't do anything.
Q. What about the music, could you hear that?
MARAT SAFIN: No, no. I didn't hear the music, no.
Q. And your racquet, you fairly well smashed that, then you threw
it to someone in the crowd. A lucky guy.
MARAT SAFIN: Is that a question?
Q. Have you ever flattened a racquet that much?
MARAT SAFIN: I broke one year 68 racquet.
Q. You broke two racquets today, right?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes.
Q. First one, then you change, afterwards?
MARAT SAFIN: Yes.
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