2005 Australian Open
Date: 2005-01-19
Safin def. Ulirach 6-4, 6-1, 6-3

Question Aside from that first break of serve, was that pretty well as perfect as you could get it?
Answer When he broke me in the first set? What do you mean?

Question Yes, yes.
Answer I was a little bit not feeling really comfortable on the court for some reason. Just was a mistake, this break. But then I got together everything and broke him back.

Question Were you happy with the way you played?
Answer No, was pretty good. He's a tough player because he's playing with quite flat. So it's little bit you have to be there. I did pretty good job. Also I lost to him -- we played only once and I lost to him. So was a little bit difficult. But just, you know, I got used to it very fast and I'm pretty happy.

Question Do you remember any start better in a Grand Slam?
Answer I think this one is the best start.

Question Why? Any reason? Surface is the best for you or...?
Answer No, just because I'm playing well and not really long time of rest. But I did a good job in the preseason, work hard. I'm ready. Also I get older a little bit. I have more experience so I know what to do. Always I was looking for a good start in every Grand Slam, but for some reason not enough experience I had to be able to do that by that time. You know, just I tried to be a little bit more focused what I'm doing, and it's working.

Question How does this compare to last year when you had to play so many sets?
Answer Yeah, but last year was little bit different story because I didn't play for a long time and I was coming from the injury and I had a lot of time off. I was fresh, nothing to lose, no pressure whatsoever. This year, it's little bit different story because we had very late -- we finish the year very late, like almost in December. So, you know, like and then we have only one month to do the preseason and to rest. So basically I didn't rest at all. So basically I'm continuing from the last year. So now after Australian Open I will have to take a couple of weeks off because for some reason the officials, you know, the people who are running the tour, they don't consider, you know -- they don't want to make any changes for the players to rest more. So that's why you have to adapt yourself for that probably and continue with the year.

Question This year you seem to be able to save more energy. You ease through matches.
Answer Like I said, I have more experience, I'm getting older. I have a coach, he explains to me what I have to do. And I'm also learning, I been learning all my mistakes for a long time. Now is the time to take advantage of it. Once you know what's your strongest points and what's weak points, knowing this, it's little bit easier to choose the directions where you want to go.

Question Did you get to see much of your sister's match on TV this morning?
Answer Yeah, I saw pretty much everything.

Question She lost today, obviously, but has her tennis improved a lot in the last year, do you think?
Answer I don't think -- she has to make -- she has to make a lot of changes to be able to compete with all these kind of players like Amelie. We are talking about top players in the women's tour. And to be able to do that, she needs to have a character and she needs to be a little bit grown-up woman. Of course, she is little bit young, and I know everything everybody saying to her, she is still young, she has big future in front of her. But I'm sorry, if you don't really understand yourself what's going on, it's little bit difficult for somebody to fix it and explain it. Nobody going to tell her what to do; she has to decide for herself, you know. It's my duty to help her, but if she doesn't want to listen... (laughter). So then we gonna have a lot of matches like this.

Question How long did it take you to understand what you have to do?
Answer Yeah, but I'm sorry, with all the respect, you know, I achieved at age of 20, I been No. 1 in the world. At the age of 20 I won the Grand Slam. For some reason, I was 2 in the world, I finish the year 2 in the world, I finish the year 3 in the world, I finish the year 11 in the world and 4 in the world. I won 14 tournaments. Five of them is a Masters Series events, and a Grand Slam just for, you know... If you look at my portfolio and other people, it's little bit different. So is not such a bad -- such bad career that I'm having. And two finals of a Grand Slam also. Sorry, I forgot (laughter).

Question Davis Cup.
Answer Davis Cup. Basically I'm having a pretty decent career of tennis. Of course, a lot of people would say, 'You could achieve much more,' but also I could not achieve anything.

Question What changes does she have to make?
Answer She has to grow up, you know, be a little bit responsible for the things that she is doing and the decisions that she is making. For some reason she cannot make any decisions; she needs somebody to, you know, explain her everything. It's little bit sad to watch this because I can see that she has a great potential. She has a game, but she doesn't have this character like Sharapova has and Kuznetsova, Dementieva, Myskina, all the Russian girls. They're great players. What they are good at is that they have a character of fighters, of wanting to achieve something.

Question Any chance you two will play doubles on tour at some point? That's probably the best way for her to learn from you.
Answer I don't think it's the best one. Also I'm not -- there is no more charity for my sister. She has to learn the hard way. I think it's the way that everybody understands, I guess.

Question There's no hard feeling?
Answer No hard feeling. Of course, she's my sister. She's my sister. It's just little bit sad to see, sit back and watch this, you know, the train pass. And then she has to run away when I told her already that 'Take this train, you know, like before it's gonna be too late.'

Question You say you worked a lot preseason. What aspects of your game did you work on?
Answer Little bit to improve -- every year we have to improve something because players, they get used to each other. Everybody knows what I'm capable of or Federer or Roddick. And every year you have to bring something new, you have to bring something new, you have to improve something. Of course, it's serve. Of course, it's a volley, the movement on the court because the game is become faster and faster each time, more physical. So just pretty much everything. Just try to be as, how would say, not to have any ups and downs, be equal during all the year, try to keep this - I don't know - for 30 weeks.

Question Can you give us a quick preview about your next match.
Answer I never play against him. I practice a couple of times. Good player. Good serve. He can play from the baseline. He has a volley. He beat one year Federer in Wimbledon. So I guess -- and he's playing well if he beat in three sets Bjorn Phau. He must be in pretty good shape. But we'll see. We'll see how he play against me, how he gonna start.