2004 Western & Southern Financial Group Masters
Date: 2004-08-06
Hewitt def. Safin 6-4, 6-4

Question You played a lot of good stuff but didn't quite get the result that you wanted. What do you think the main reasons for that were?
Answer I didn't really felt today really good on the court. It was quite windy for me, and the balls became very small and they were flying, actually. I couldn't have -- couldn't put my game out. Like I didn't feel comfortable. That's why it was so many unforced errors. For him was okay. I mean, his type of game, it suits this weather. I mean, he just have to put back and run. I mean, I have to create something, and today I couldn't. I didn't feel the grip, you know. Couldn't control the ball really well.

Question What was the problem with your wrist?
Answer No, just was a little bit too, you know -- taped too strong.

Question Has that been a problem before with your wrist?
Answer No, I'm just protecting it by putting all the time the tape, just protecting my wrist.

Question You got a bad line call as well. Did that have much effect on the match?
Answer No, not really. But just, you know, just any opportunity today would be great. I mean, 15-Love, 15-All, just something, you know. Just wait and wait and wait. It was actually mistake. The ball was out. It was quite obvious. Not even close. But I'm not blaming him. I just want to prove my point that -- anyway he gonna see it now on the TV, and he can see that the ball was out. So he apologize to me. But he thought that he was right and the ball was in. So just it was bad but just something, you know, I mean, you never know. 15-30, for me, it would be good today, some opportunity.

Question Do you not feel that the match just hinged, as it often does, on one or two shots, the lob for instance that you made when you were about to break serve, just one or two points like that?
Answer Yeah. I mean, if will be -- if I could make a break back and it would be a little bit -- he will be a little bit more nervous on his serve because he knew that -- he would know that I can break him. But then he get the confidence, and he was serving pretty well.

Question It must be frustrating to play him because he's just so solid, isn't he?
Answer Yeah, but that's his game. I mean, the best days, like when I'm playing well and the conditions are a little bit better for me and I'm more feeling like more -- I have little bit of more confidence, maybe less windy - I mean, for me to play in the wind is little bit tough - it would be different match. But today for him it was a great weather, perfect conditions to beat me.

Question What is it like for you? Was it frustrating out there?
Answer Not frustrating. But just, you know, like I couldn't finish the points and the balls are flying. So when I couldn't have the grip from the backhand, from the forehand, just a little bit uncomfortable on the court. But that's it, just small things here and there that creates whole different picture.

Question Despite that, you don't look far away from the top group. Do you feel that, and what would it take to get there?
Answer I'm not focusing on the ranking, I mean, how far I am, how many points I have, and what I have to do to be in Houston and all this actually bullshit story. Just is not most important thing for me. Just get back to -- get the confidence and hold the confidence for as long as I can. And just once I will get this, stay there for as long as you can and then squeeze everything what you can from this, you know, from the confidence. And then if I'm playing well, the points will come. I will not be struggling, you know, being 7th, being 8th, being 10th or we're going to talk about different numbers already. That's my goal. I mean, once I will start to play well, confidence, and then big tournaments is coming - US Open, we have Olympics still, we have points there. Then we have two Masters Series in Paris and then Madrid.

Question Do you sense there are a lot of people, spectators, media, who actually want you to do that because you're good for the game?
Answer Thank you. I'm also trying. I'm trying. Is not so easy. Is really it's just very complicated. It looks very easy from out of the court. It looks simple, but it's not. It's just day by day - work, difficult times, not playing well, not feeling the ball, struggling, mental problems that you have no confidence and this kind of things. When you can pull everything together, then you gonna have the results. But you need to work. It's day by day. But it's not really -- is not easy. It's just difficult to explain to the people how tough it is because they really think it's just you go there, you play your best tennis, that's it. That's how you gain points and confidence.

Question Do you feel like you're going in the right direction, though, you're getting closer?
Answer Yeah, I'm working hard. I'm trying and I really want. Once you have motivation, once you want to do it, it's just a matter of just waiting for opportunity. Opportunities will come. It's not the last opportunity that I am having to get into semifinals or winning a tournament. There's still a lot of -- plenty of months to play. And once I will have this - and I'm sure I will - there is no chance that you cannot have chances. Take it, and then the confidence will grow, points will come, and the game will improve and the result will come.