2004 Wimbledon
Date: 2004-06-22
Tursunov def. Safin 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6

Question Was it encouraging to have Boris Yeltsin there, or did you feel pressure?
Answer No, just I didn't felt like -- playing, I didn't felt like -- I couldn't -- I didn't any like -- I didn't felt comfortable there. Like I said, I don't like to play on this surface. I don't feel like I'm moving. I cannot move there. Every time, I don't know how it's gonna bounce. So it's like a really nightmare for me. So after a while, just I get bored. I lost completely motivation, and I give up.

Question Have you played on that court before?
Answer Yeah, a couple of times.

Question You haven't lost?
Answer No, because other people, they withdraw.

Question Do you think you'll come back, or do you think you'll just give up on Wimbledon?
Answer No, I give up on Wimbledon. Is definitely not the tournament for me. I give up on spending time on this courts. I give up on practicing before the tournament, just to prepare myself for better results. I hate. I hate this. I have to admit it. I'm not really enjoying playing on this courts. So I just, you know, come like other people - Friday, Saturday before the tournament. Practice a couple of days, then I play. I'm not gonna spend my time, not gonna waste my time on that knowing, though, that I will not play well.

Question Have you always felt this way about grass?
Answer I never could move. That's what's my problem. Was always a problem for me. I was sliding. Bounce is very low for me. Just I hate also when it's like very low bounce, and sometimes bad bounces. I mean, it's for everybody it's like this. But for me, especially for my game, I cannot adjust to this. You have to be really focus in your mind, but it's not my territory.

Question Did you go out last night or anything? I mean, do you take a different approach here and just kind of say...
Answer No, I try to be serious. I try to be serious. I came here one week before, and I was practicing quite a lot. I spend a lot of time on the courts. I didn't go out last night, and I didn't had fun. I was trying to prepare myself and try to -- I know -- give myself another chance. But I think it's the last one.

Question How has Lundgren helped you? What do you hope to get out of this relationship?
Answer What do you mean?

Question Just, your coach.
Answer Yeah.

Question I mean, how has he helped you?
Answer Yeah, but what he can -- about Wimbledon or about what?

Question Just in general.
Answer Well, I mean, we didn't make any results yet, any incredible results. So we have to work on that. Unfortunately, I was prepared for Paris. I was playing good. But I couldn't finish that particular tournament. Then here, which is second big tournament we're playing, is not like the tournament to show my best results. But he's trying to support. He's trying to, you know, like put a little bit -- be a little bit motivated, be a little bit positive. But not yet. The results not coming yet. But I think it's good. It's really good for me. I don't want to speak about this tournament. But be seriously, be honest, like it's coming, second part of the year. I think it's gonna be much better. He is pretty good person. He knows what he is doing. I trust him more than 100%, and the results will come soon.

Question You had such a great result in Australia, so people should expect great things from you outside of Wimbledon.
Answer Probably. Wimbledon, let's not talk about Wimbledon. It's not really the place to, you know -- is not my surface. Is not my territory. I just -- is like I didn't play that tournament. Because it's still coming, like long American tour. That's what I'm trying to focus. Is two big Super 9s, then there is Olympics, then there is US Open. So that's what I'm trying to focus.

Question Did your blisters heal?
Answer Yeah, yeah. Perfect.

Question Strange, wasn't it?
Answer I don't know. Nobody knew what it was. I don't know.

Question Could we see your hand?
Answer No, it's perfect (showing hands).

Question That's amazing.
Answer Amazing blisters or amazing...

Question No, it's an amazing recovery.
Answer The recovery (smiling).

Question Is there any chance this will be a very low moment and in the middle of August we'll see you with a gold medal around your neck in Athens?
Answer Like I said many times, and I'm still insisting that the Olympics is not for tennis. Tennis doesn't need the Olympic Games. It's not my best -- it's not my goal in my life to win Olympic Games and say to everybody that I have Olympic gold medal. We have four Grand Slams. We have Super 9s. We have a lot of tournaments. We have pretty tough schedule. And now we gonna have Olympics. I mean, of course it's gonna be -- it's every four years. But, still, it's little bit -- it's more like for amateur sports. Of course it's like for swimmers, for runners, it's great. Then triathlon, all these things that for them, Olympic Games is huge. They have World Cup once a year, European Cup once a year. There's not many tournaments they have. So they prepare basically for six months to go to this tournaments. We are playing almost every week, and we are gonna have Olympic Games. We are professional sport. Let's see, like nobody from NBA basically playing. Because everybody says is student from the colleges, right? I mean, of course they gonna bring some big guys just to, you know, to play, just to make it more entertaining. But the tennis doesn't need this.

Question So why are you playing?
Answer Why I'm playing?

Question Yeah.
Answer It's not because -- because I have to play for Russia. Because I have to. I have to do it. But is not my goal in my life to win the Olympic Games. Ask Marc Rosset. He will tell you the same. He won it. He is not really proud of it, and just saying, "I won the Olympic Games. It's great. It feels unbelievable," and it's the best thing that will happen in his life.

Question What is your big goal right now?
Answer For me, it's the Grand Slams. I think for tennis players, is nothing bigger than the Grand Slams. And nothing will be bigger than that, not even Masters at the end of the year. Of course it's huge. But you're most known for Grand Slams. That's how it was, how it is, and how it will be.

Question Have you had chats with Yevgeny about this?
Answer Yeah, but Yevgeny is the same, probably the same. You don't get this special feeling. Of course you more playing for your country than you playing for yourself. But just all they do is like different way. Are teams. So they change something. Because it's not -- I'm not excited. I'm not excited at all to go there. But, first of all, look at the schedule we have. We have two Super 9s, we have to go to Olympics, and we have to fly back to the States. So it's also little bit not... not good. And then they try to, you know -- then the players, they have to perform here and there, and they have jetlag also. If you gonna play well in Olympic Games, you might not play very well in US Open. And after two tough Super 9s, you have to fly to Olympic Games and then prepare yourself well there. It's really tough schedule.

Question How disappointing is it not to be going further here?
Answer Huh?

Question How disappointing is it not to be able to keep playing here?
Answer It's okay. Like I said, it's not my biggest goal. I tried and I tried, but it doesn't work. Really, is not my tournament where I can play well because I don't feel comfortable. I cannot move. For me, it's difficult to play my tennis. So basically, I have to focus on play well in other surfaces, which is clay; I can play on hard courts, indoors. Basically, this tournament, not many people that can play here.

Question Bud's favorite surface is grass.
Answer Not for me (laughing).

Question When you're playing Dmitry, are you playing a Russian or an American?
Answer No, but he's from my club. He's from Russia and he will be Russian. It's just a little bit -- "Surfing Dude," we call him.

Question You still love tennis, or do you tend to get bored with it?
Answer No, I love tennis. I just don't like grass (smiling).