PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
Date: 2006-03-15

PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 15, 2006

Marat Safin
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
The Moderator Questions for Marat.
Question You had a good run against him, five wins in a row. Did he play better tonight?
Marat Safin No. Just he was solid. I lost a little bit my game on that 4-2, then the trouble started. A couple of bad calls and the match was gone.
Question Did your mind go out a little bit at that point?
Marat Safin Yeah, just lost -- I felt like I lost the game. I lost the momentum. I start to be scared a little bit because I really wanted to win, and I knew I was 4-2 up, playing good tennis. All of a sudden everything just changed the way.
I was scared a little bit to play more aggressive. Started to be a little bit defensive. And then he was just putting the ball inside, and I couldn't keep up my game. I just got a little bit scared because I made a couple of mistake and I lost a little bit forehand. Backhand didn't work. The footwork was not there. Just it went really quickly. So I couldn't came back.
Question Is that a result of being out for so long?
Marat Safin Yeah, of course, because normally there's is always a time to come back. There's always a time to come out of this kind of situation. But if you've been out for a very long period of time, you kind of lose the momentum. And it's difficult to come back because you really didn't play a lot of matches, even though I win three matches here. But it's not enough still because you have to change a little bit the game, be a little bit more aggressive, go to the net, do something different.
When you're missing the matches, you don't really know what to do.
Question You have an amazing ability to come in here and completely analyze very coldly what went wrong in your head, yet very often you would still be a victim of these things. It's strange it doesn't change. Is that accurate?
Marat Safin Well, I'm getting old (smiling). No, you get mature. I mean, experience-wise. You see. You see yourself a little bit from outside of the court. You know what's going on in your head. You really understand what is going on, and you actually cannot do anything about it. The only thing you can do is to laugh inside of yourself, just take it as easy as possible. Because it's already enough that I lost to the guy that I win last five times. Just the situation that you find yourself in the court, it's already in a hole.
So at least give yourself a credit and say to yourself that you've been out for seven months, you beat a good players. There is one bad day at the office. Don't be too hard on yourself. It's another five years of career, at least these kind of losses will happen. Of course, it really hurts, this kind of things. That second set, you just -- you don't know what you're doing.
But also it's a little bit understandable also for me being out for so long. You don't really know when to come in, when to stay. You always choose the wrong -- you make the wrong decision. So there's nothing wrong with that.
Question If you can relax in here and think about the match, why can't you let one bad call just go by?
Marat Safin Well, because, of course, look at the score, 6-4. It's very important to keep your serve. Then it's coming with a call that's basically it's an important moment. It is an important moment. Once you go 1-0, then you calm a little down bit yourself because you lost one set. Then it is starting all over again.
Of course, you have opportunities in the second set. But if one bad call, it's already 1-0 down, everything, it's moving on too fast. These first few games, just keep your serve. One bad call, that's it. 3-Love in two seconds. Then, of course, the guy is starting to be more confident, start to play his game, he doesn't miss any ball, he makes the shots he didn't even make before, the luck is on his side, all these things. All these things start to push on you, you start to put more pressure on yourself. Then, of course, it's a whole thing. It's a mess. It's becoming a mess.
So one call, yeah, but it was a tough one. It was a really important ball for me.
Question So next week in Miami with the electronic appeal, do you think that will make a big difference?
Marat Safin These balls could help actually because, really, it's a breakpoint. We'll see.
Question It was a breakpoint against you?
Marat Safin It was a breakpoint. It was clearly on the line. You find yourself completely useless to argue against the umpire, but from inside you are just burning. You just know the ball is in. The guy, because he's staying on the line, he didn't really see clearly. Even he called it late. Of course, you ask the guy, "What the hell you doing there sitting upstairs, and you don't do really into the match and you have to overrule this one." He said, "No, I didn't see it."
What do you mean he didn't see it. If he sees the serve going over 200 kilometers per hour. He sees this, and he doesn't see the ball that was just floating in the air. I mean, these kind of questions, these kind of decisions that people are making, they're really pissing you off. What are you expecting from the chair umpire just to be on these balls and be a little bit present on the match, even though if he is making mistakes, but at least be present.
Then there's another time the guy is calling really late the ball, he doesn't overrule it. The whole thing. I'm not giving myself excuses, but it's one of the -- maybe it was a chance for me actually.
Question Was it a forehand or backhand?
Marat Safin It was a forehand down the line.
Question Srichaphan is doing meditation. Do you find meditation, too?
Marat Safin For me it doesn't help much, meditation (smiling).
Question You stood for a while at the net. I thought you were going to throw the racquet. Maybe that would help.
Marat Safin Well, I throw it after, maybe a little bit too late. Tough decisions. Tough moments. Because you see already yourself. You cannot change anything. You get frustrated even more.
Question You seemed very much at peace this whole week, through right now, in fact.
Marat Safin Thank you. I'm happy my knee is still there. Doesn't bother me so much. That is the most important thing because then the tennis will come. Just, like I said, I need to play a lot of matches. I need to find my game. I need to find my confidence. Of course, it's not like from one night to a day is going to change everything, you know, play much better, even though you beat players like Moya and Davydenko.
The most important thing is my knee is still will not bother me in the future.
Question What are you doing to take care of it after matches?
Marat Safin We have a few machines, compress, just to relax the muscle, relax the tendon, put some ice, stretch, massage it a little bit. Well, tennis-wise, it will take me time, some time to come back to where maybe I should be. But there is no -- I'm not going to put pressure on myself because it's a little bit tough to play when you have a pressure on, then everybody expects for you to be in the top 10 already. I want to be there. The people still are trying to tell you that you belong there.
Well, time will show. But it's just too much pressure. It's a little bit too difficult to deal with. On the court is enough because you're playing against a guy that wants to beat you.
Question Do you take any shots for the knee, cortisone?
Marat Safin No, cortisone is already past century. Is not good any more.
Question Any new products?
Marat Safin Unfortunately, no, because they didn't invent anything new. The cortisone, really it's not good for the body. I don't even suggest you guys to take it. It's destroying the tissues. I had it on my wrist when I had it. They told me it was a mistake because really my cartilage was destroyed by that. That's why it took me seven months instead of maybe a little bit less. Just a good suggestion, don't take it.
Question Takes a lot of discipline to do a lot of the rehab work. Is that easy for you or difficult?
Marat Safin Everything what is surrounding tennis, being on the tour, it's already a good thing. It doesn't matter if you -- take you two hours before you going on the court because otherwise what are the options? I've been out for seven months and I was begging to come back, the doctors, to hurry up the process.
For four months, I was wishing to come back, even do the stretching, do everything that is possible just to be on the court, go out on the court and see the spectators watching the game, to be able to run and play the full power.
Question Get a bad call?
Marat Safin Doesn't matter. At least I'm sitting here right now, which already make me happy. Really appreciate actually everybody who helped me to come back because I cannot explain. This is your life. I've been doing this for 20 years. All of a sudden you get injured and you never come back. This is completely changing your life and changing your way of thinking.
But it's really hard way to deal with. I'm sure a lady is sitting here from France, and Escude, I don't know if he's going to come back. For the player, it's a tough decision, a tough position that he can find himself, is to come back or not to come back.
I'm here sitting, talking, playing. I'm very happy, believe me, even though that I lost today.
Question Are you happy with the progress you made in this tournament?
Marat Safin Well, I'm very happy that I'm even back. Yeah, believe me or not, but it's really true. I could be just sitting out in Moscow. If they would make me a surgery, I would never come back. I would not be laughing. I would be just really disappointed and I would have to find a new life. Trust me, when you're doing something for 20 years, to change something in your life, try to do something different, this is a real tough decision to take.
Question Have you talked to any doctors that have suggested they can fix it?
Marat Safin No, they all said the same. Of course, there is a lot of geniuses that they think they know better than others. They say just to open me, let me have the surgery. But is just another 50 doctors that say don't do it because something might go wrong, the operation, you are done. You have no even option to come back. Like this, if it will take me a little bit longer, seven months instead of maybe four months, but 50/50 chances, at least you have an opportunity to play. That's why I choose this, the slower rehabilitation just to make sure that I'll be playing for another few years.

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