WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS
Date: 2005-08-19

WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 19, 2005

Marat Safin
CINCINNATI, OHIO
The Moderator Questions, please.

Question Was the knee more of a problem today?
Marat Safin No, but still it still hurts a little bit so I am trying to take care of it. Just to keep it for another five minutes.

Question Yesterday a lot of things went right for you. Today it must have been very frustrating.
Marat Safin Well, in a way it's a little bit normal. I didn't practice for one months and a half and I played for three matches in a row and today I felt really, really tight on the court. I couldn't move properly, and I couldn't find my game. Timing was not there. So it's really difficult to play against any player, you know, like because I need to run a little bit, you need to be focused, and I need to have a little bit of energy to put pressure on him, something like that. And Ginepri, he played his game, you know. He didn't miss much. He was serving well. Was returning okay. So he did his job, and I just was not at the same level.

Question Were you sort of waiting to have a day like this? Were you half-expecting it?
Marat Safin Well, I knew that. But I felt a little bit, I guess this morning, that I had no -- I had not so much energy left and I really couldn't, you know, I couldn't perform, I couldn't run, and I could not give my best. If I want to have inspiration to win the match, you know, I should have little bit more energy because opportunities would come anyway. And I was always behind him. And he was fresh, he was playing, he was running, he was doing his job. He did pretty good.

Question Even if you had been at your best and had the energy that you normally have, how difficult would it have been to have beaten him today?
Marat Safin Well, it would be little bit different story. I mean, like he's pretty solid. He's playing well. He won a tournament in Indianapolis I think he won, and the finals of Washington. So that could be.

Question Won a couple matches in Washington.
Marat Safin Okay, so. But he is playing well. Of course it would be tough match, but still I would have my opportunities, you know, in the first and second set. I didn't get even to have the breakpoints. You know, like this it's a little bit difficult to win the matches. So it would be definitely a difficult match because he made a couple of good results here also. He beat Moya and he's match confident. But, still, everybody gives you opportunities.

Question Is he better than his ranking?
Marat Safin No, his ranking is what he deserve.

Question But I mean his ranking fell way down, and now it's starting to come back up.
Marat Safin Yeah, so we'll see.

Question It's much lower.
Marat Safin Yes, the ranking is -- I cannot -- I mean, also I can play -- one time I can play No. 1 in the world and then I am playing like 50, No. 50. So what's his ranking, 40, 30 in the world?

Question 58.
Marat Safin 58, so one day he's playing well and then I'm sure one day he can lose to anybody.

Question What I'm saying is, is he on the rise? Is he one of those players that you would, six months from now, find even more difficult to play?
Marat Safin Well, he's trying to do this for the past three years, so I don't know. He was upcoming, new, upcoming player on the tour for three years ago. And, I don't know. Like he was there, 30, 40, and he never could manage to, you know, to get in Top 20. So it says something that he is not consistent or he is not really, you know -- like he can play couple of matches good and then he just is downhill during the six months, I guess. But the way he's play, he played today and the way he played these months, I guess he is playing really well. If he can maintain his game in this level, he can be in Top 20 for sure. That's for sure.

Question When he broke you on your first service game, you were hooking a couple shots wide. You said you felt like you didn't have it today. Was there any chance for you out there? Did you think you'd get it together at some point?
Marat Safin Well, I was expecting to have chances back in the first set. Even though that he broke me in that first game, it doesn't really make a big difference because beginning of the match you can be not -- be a little bit cold and not ready and not focused enough. And also in the second set I started to play, but still not enough - not enough energy, not enough strength in my legs. And could just -- was missing too much.

Question What did you think about the two foot faults?
Marat Safin But still, you know, like they are actual linesmen. So I guess sometimes it's a little bit -- I have my opinion about the foot faults. Because, you know, sometimes the people, they make big ones. Of course you have half of the -- half of step inside the court. But if you're making -- touching little bit the line, but still it's a foot fault, but sometimes you don't call it because it doesn't really make a difference, you know, if you just touch the line. That's my opinion, but of course they are right. I have no reason to protest that. But it's just in a matter of -- I am a player. In a matter of just in a game it doesn't really make a difference if it's like this or like that (measuring).

Question When you showed up here, you said you were curious to see how the knee would respond, whether it gets any better, worse. How has it gotten as you've been playing this week?
Marat Safin Same way today. Yesterday was better; today is a little bit, you know, a little bit tight and I feel a little bit more inflamed. But I will take one week off, definitely not go to New Haven, try to take care of my knee and try to get ready for US Open where I should be at my best. But it's okay.

Question Are you going to China next month? I saw an article that you missed the deadline entry.
Marat Safin Yeah, but still I can get a wildcard (smiling).

Question Is playing three or four matches after quite a long break a decent amount of matches that will enable you to build on it?
Marat Safin Well, in my position I think it's enough. Because if I will not have problems with my knee, I will go to New Haven, play another, you know -- try to get the rhythm back and try to get the confidence and try to play more matches before the US Open. But in my position I cannot really. I have to think about the knee and how many matches I have. So I prefer, you know -- so the knee will be okay for the US Open because the matches are longer and that's where I should really perform. So because of the knee, I would skip New Haven and try to go to the doctor, spend much more time with him so he can fix me at least so I can play US Open.

Question So this was a useful amount of time on court?
Marat Safin Could be -- I don't think it's really, really enough, but it's the best I could make. It could be even worse, I could be first round here and first round in New Haven so I cannot really complain. Of course is not the best result I could expect from, but in my position I think it's pretty good - quarterfinal, beating good players. Losing today, it's okay. Like I said, not enough energy. Without practicing, it's difficult to keep it up, you know, and just try not to go down.

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