PACIFIC LIFE OPEN
Date: 2005-03-15

PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 15, 2005

Marat Safin
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA
The Moderator Questions for Marat.

Question You seemed to have a tough time getting on track tonight. Is that something Dent was doing or were you having a hard time finding your game tonight?
Marat Safin I just couldn't find it. From beginning I felt like it's -- like it was impossible to play my game. It was a bad start, of course, because for some reason I just didn't feel comfortable on the court, and then it was difficult to come back. I had my chance at 5-All, you know, Love-40. Just I didn't play all -- all the match I didn't play well. And after this opportunity, you know, it just was downhill.

Question Was it more or less the same problem in the first round?
Marat Safin No. Just I couldn't -- just the worst match I ever played probably in my entire career. I didn't felt so bad on the court ever, ever in my life. Just no matter what I would do, it just would not go my way. Just -- I don't know. I don't know. Just happens, I guess. The frustration that you get when you're trying and you're trying and you're trying and just doesn't -- anything goes your way. It's a terrible feeling.

Question Did you try to change something during the match, a new strategy?
Marat Safin What you can change? You can't do much. I mean, I couldn't do the most simple things. I couldn't really serve well. Just keep life in the match, have opportunities. On his serve I didn't return at all, you know, the way I should return, when you're playing a big server from the baseline. I made so many unforced errors. Just basically he was winning the rallies, which it already says a lot. Normally he has no chance in the rallies because it's not his game. I'm just from the baseline much better than him. He has to find something extra to do to beat me. But the way I felt today, just I couldn't put two balls inside the court. It's really frustrating that it happens, you know, especially here in Indian Wells in a Masters Series event.

Question Did you feel any problem during the warm-up?
Marat Safin No. Just it happens. I mean, everybody has these kind of matches. It's just frustrating to have it in the big tournament.

Question You won one point on his first serve. Was it that tough or was your return that bad?
Marat Safin It was like I said, it's just impossible to -- I felt outside, like I was not there, you know. I was not there; I couldn't play. I couldn't play. No matter what I would do, it was just not going anywhere. The return was terrible. Everything, all aspects of the game just was ridiculous how bad it was. I never felt so bad on the court. I've never felt so negative on the court since a long time actually. I don't know how to describe it, the way I played today. I think also I made double-faults, and I never made double-fault in a long time.

Question How does that influence what you do tomorrow? Do you suddenly go out tomorrow and think you better have a good practice or it's gone and you have to move ahead?
Marat Safin You cannot really just focus on these kind of matches. You have to try to forget it as soon as you can. You know, I get frustrated. I get frustrated today. I broke the racquet, like I destroyed it. You want to forget these kind of matches as soon as possible to be able to continue and to wait for the better opportunities. Also there is a tournament next week, which is I think it shouldn't be influenced -- I don't have to influence my game with these kind of matches. Just forget about it, try to do something new, keep on practicing, keep on trying, and better times will come. But it's definitely not the match to remember. Without taking credit from Taylor, I mean, he was there. He played his match. He did whatever he had to do. Congratulations. It also counts. This win today also counts.

Question In these kind of moments, does Lundgren tell you something immediately or is he going to wait?
Marat Safin I mean, he said what he had to say. But there's also a little bit -- of course, he understands the way I'm feeling, the way, you know, everybody pass through these moments in their careers. And it's difficult to say something to the guy. It's not like something was going wrong. It's not like you can -- you have to change something immediately, there is something you have to improve immediately. It's just the fact that it happens, you know, like you -- it happens. It's a nonsense, you know. You can't play -- it will not happen another match like this in a long time. Even if you try, you can't play so bad - even if you try. I mean, you can't really -- what are you going to say? Like I said, shit happens. It can happens to anybody. Unfortunately, it happened to me today. I really touched the bottom of my game.

Question Interviewing your sister, she said, "My brother is tough on me." Are you tough on her you want her to learn the hard way or do you think maybe she's spoiled?
Marat Safin No, I think not the hard way. Just, you know, it's the way it is. Nothing's -- no exaggerations at all. I mean, I'm saying the things the way they are. So I don't have to really make all the curve to get to the point. I tell her the way it is. She takes it, she accept it the way it is, and we move on. You know, I'm not like trying to teach her, because she has a coach. But I'm trying to like -- you know, I try to give her support. Of course, it's difficult to find the right key to every woman, to tell them in a nice way what they should do. It's also, you know, like it's a little bit easier for me because she's my sister. I prefer to say it the way it is. She has to be tough, of course. Of course, she has to be tough, you know because she's playing with a professional and adults already. There is not kindergarten here. The losses are real. So it's better to say the truth straightaway.

Question Your mother is tough, as well. Does a coaching thought still come through with your mother today?
Marat Safin What do you mean?

Question Is there still a little coaching involved when you communicate with your mother or sister?
Marat Safin No, not at all. No, she has a coach. My mother prefers to stay as a mother, because otherwise it's a little bit difficult to teach somebody having two opinions. For example, if my sister, she has opinion from the mother and she has opinion of the coach, she doesn't know what is right and what is wrong. So is better one person says. It's a professional. That's why she has a coach. She should listen to the coach because he's a coach. Otherwise what is the point to taking a guy, you know, like and listen to the mother? So the mother should be a coach and continue working with her, but she decided to take a professional coach, try to be serious with the tennis career and listen and trust to the guy.

Question You said earlier tonight you felt bad on the court. When you come here, it seems you feel bad for one reason or another. One year you had the bad back, then the stomach flu.
Marat Safin I don't know what to say. Every year I'm trying, every year I'm coming with new expectations. I'm trying to do right things and trying to work as much as I can before the tournament. I want to do well because I never did well here. And for some reason it doesn't -- just it doesn't -- it's not my tournament, I guess.

Question Do you feel jinxed here?
Marat Safin What do you mean?

Question Bad luck every time you come here.
Marat Safin I hope it's what it is. I hope it's this, what it is. I hope it's not me. I hope it's the bad luck.

Question Is it true to say that you have problem with your game since you came back in Dubai? Dubai, Davis Cup, here. Do you see any common point?
Marat Safin But I never played well during this time. It's not like it's something new for me. It's like all the time I played bad, in Dubai for past three years, all this tournament like up to Miami. So I have to live with that and I try to do something else, something new in order to be able to play well in Miami. Still is another tournament. Hopefully I'll make my downhill as short as I can. But just everybody has difficult moments, and now is just not really best moment I guess for me. But is always a new day, is always a new week. So hopefully, you know, better times will come. They should come. I mean, I really -- I'm really working hard. I'm doing everything what Peter says. I'm trying and I'm trying and I'm getting frustrated when these kind of matches I have during my career, you know. Coming especially on these big tournaments, it's really frustrating for every tennis player. You want to do well. But sometimes you put maybe a little too much pressure on yourself and you want to be really good and you want to play really well in these kind of tournaments, but sometimes you have to accept the way it is and continue working without getting really too upset with yourself.

Question When you break the racquet or get fired up, does that fire you up? Do you feel that can pull you back to focus?
Marat Safin These kind of things I really need because I cannot swallow for a long time. Sometimes it gets too much anger in me and I can't hold it, I can't. I just have to do something and I have to be able to feel free and to be able to continue with the match, you know, continue with new power, new start.

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