2003 NASDAQ-100 Open
Date: 2003-03-10
Safina def. Kournikova 6-1, 6-4

Question You hit the ball quite a lot harder than Anna. That was a good win for you, wasn't it?
Answer But I think I didn't play my best tennis today. It was really difficult because it was like center court, I played against Anna. And when I played, I had a little bit of pressure, you know. But I don't know, I cannot say if I hit harder or slower than her. It's like -- I don't know.

Question Where did the pressure come from: Being on the center court, or playing against Anna?
Answer I mean, everything. Like center court, like everybody was like, "Wow, Anna." I was standing there, when Anna won the game, everybody was like, "Wow." I was like, "Okay." It was a little bit difficult. I cannot say "pressure," but it was like difficult to play.

Question Was it more difficult because it was Anna or because it was another Russian?
Answer I don't care who I'm playing against, even if it's Russian. You have to go and you have to play. But more difficult because it was like center court, because I didn't play, like, for a long time I didn't play good tennis. That's why it was more pressure.

Question Were you pleased with the way you played today?
Answer Yeah.

Question Are you happy?
Answer Oh, sorry. If I'm happy the way I play? No. I don't know, I didn't like really how I played. It was like... I don't know. I didn't enjoy this match. It was because it was like very difficult to play.

Question But you won.
Answer Yeah, that's the most important, that I won.

Question How much are you enjoying now being one of the players expected to win when you go on to a court? Before this year, maybe you were always the person lower ranked, and maybe they would expect the other person to win. Now, people expect you to win. Do you find that's easy?
Answer No. Like, it's pressure, this. Like every time when the top people say, "Oh, you are playing good, you have to win," I mean, that's the pressure, you know, like when everybody's like, "Oh..." It's difficult like, you know, when you come in in the court. It's little bit of pressure, you know.

Question Does it help having so many Russian players in the Top 100?
Answer Yeah, because you having fun with them. You can speak with somebody like in Russian and like you can practice with them like having fun.

Question Do all of you train together?
Answer No, everybody has a different coach. But normally when we are in tournament, we always stay together. Like we can go to eat lunch together.

Question That must be fun.
Answer Yeah, because like -- I was living like in Spain for four years. It was really difficult because I didn't speak Russian, I speak only with my mom. But now like I travel, every time I see Russians, more fun.

Question I was with Olga last week. She was talking about you.
Answer Who?

Question Olga.
Answer Oh, I know her. She played with my mom. She's, I think, one or two years younger than my mom. They played in same time.

Question Having had this pressure and gone through it and having won despite all the pressure, do you think you will be better for it?
Answer But you know this thing when you have pressure, you are playing not good. When you win, it's gonna give you confidence. With pressure, you are winning, so that gives you confidence.

Question Anna has her problems as well, doesn't she?
Answer I don't want to talk about Anna. I mean, what can I say about her? I just... I don't want to talk about her.

Question Did you not feel that Anna began the match without much confidence herself and that you were able to get on top?
Answer Really, I don't want to talk about Anna. I mean, we are friends. That's why I don't want to talk about her.

Question Did it affect the way you tried to play?
Answer What?

Question The way your opponent was playing, did it affect the way you approached the match?
Answer But me, I don't have a lot of pressure, too -- a lot of confidence. It was really difficult match, that's why.

Question The fact that you're Marat's sister and that your mother coached Myskina, does that give you any insight as to what it's like to be on the tour, to make it easier for you?
Answer No. She was coaching my brother, but now she's coaching me, so, yeah...

Question I know.
Answer But it's -- I don't know like how to say. It's little bit different when your mom and your coach. It's different. When other person is saying to you something, you listen more than when your mom is telling you the same thing. That's why sometimes we discuss, we have, you know... But now I start to listen to her more because I know that she is always right.

Question That's a good answer. Moms of the world would like that.
Answer (Smiling).

Question What do you want to achieve in tennis?
Answer Just enjoy and don't get injured. That's it.

Question Do you think you're still growing?
Answer No (laughing). No.

Question You look taller to me.
Answer I hope no more. I hope I don't grow anymore.