2004 TENNIS MASTERS CUP
HOUSTON, TEXAS
November 13, 2004


Q. First round loss in the US Open. Nobody can beat you since. What changed?

MARAT SAFIN: Just the fact that I was working the same way, I was doing the same thing, the same kind of things. And just for some reason I didn't really -- couldn't find the confidence and I couldn't do the breakthrough, because it was -- I was trying, I was trying, I was trying. I had like bad losses for two months in a row. That's why I couldn't get the confidence. Then all of a sudden I arrive to China. It changed everything.

Q. When you left New York, were you angry, depressed?

MARAT SAFIN: I was a little bit angry, I was a little bit pissed at myself that I couldn't really do well in such a big tournament. For me, it was a huge thing and I had a lot of expectations. But then I decided, okay, whatever. I have to really understand the situation. It's not my time right now, but I do was working, I was doing the right things.

Q. So you never felt like quitting? You didn't say, "That's it, this year was terrible"?

MARAT SAFIN: No, no, no. Because it's already -- I'm old enough to understand that this is part of my job, it's my way of living.

Q. I didn't mean quitting tennis. I just thought, "The year's shot," not at all?

MARAT SAFIN: But then it's difficult. The more time you take off, the more difficult it is to come back.

Q. Was there a match in China, was there one match where things then suddenly clicked for you?

MARAT SAFIN: Middle of the week. I didn't really play incredible tennis but I was fighting, I was there, I was trying. That's why I started to get better and better.

Q. It's been said that the only two players with a temper that really worked for them were Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. Do you feel your temper works to your benefit on court in ways?

MARAT SAFIN: Not really often (laughter). Not really often, but thanks for comparing me for Connors and McEnroe. I'm still a little bit too far away from them. But still, I think it helps.

Q. If it is not working to your advantage, then why not control it?

MARAT SAFIN: I'm trying to control it. That's why I'm starting to win matches, because I start to control it.

Q. That's been a pattern this fall? You have stayed under control?

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. What are you doing to do that?

MARAT SAFIN: Having a good coach. Having a good coach who is controlling me, trying to explain to me and try to make me not realize, but try to keep me quiet.

Q. Inside, you're doing things psychologically though...

MARAT SAFIN: I'm not (inaudible) just I like to win. If I have to be quiet and I have to shut up in my matches to be able to win, then, yeah, I will do that.

Q. Have your racquets survived a little better this fall than maybe other times in your career?

MARAT SAFIN: Definitely.

Q. What's your best win during this run, the one you felt the best about in terms of the way you played? Is there any one win that sticks out?

MARAT SAFIN: All in general. Even playing badly, you have to win, also. Not every time you have to play really good to be able to win. Just you need to fight, you need to be there, take your chances. You know, of course, if you will be able to do that, then your confidence comes, then you play much, much better and everything comes much easier.

Q. Is there any one thing that you have done better technically this fall, or has it more just been confidence?

MARAT SAFIN: More mentally. More mentally.

Q. You probably weren't thinking about the Masters Cup when you left New York?

MARAT SAFIN: Not really because there was a lot of people in front of me that were playing much better, were closer to the Masters.

Q. This is not a major, but a win here would be a rather smashing finish for your career?

MARAT SAFIN: That would be great. If I would be able to do well here, it would be one of the perfect endings of the year, because you really want to end well the year to be able to start with the confidence the next year.

Q. Which you started the year with apparently. You had a great run at the Australian Open.

MARAT SAFIN: I had a good start.

Q. First visit to Houston?

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. Any first impressions?

MARAT SAFIN: I didn't expect what I saw.

Q. Too big, bigger than you expected?

MARAT SAFIN: Bigger than I expected and a little bit too much, too high-tech city. I thought it was going to be maybe a little bit character, you know.

Q. Doesn't remind you of any European cities probably, right?

MARAT SAFIN: Not even close.

Q. What about the club, quarters?

MARAT SAFIN: Perfect. Great facilities. Great courts. Great locker rooms. Unfortunately, it's a little bit too cold.

Q. Weather-wise, yeah?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

Q. How will that affect the tennis, in your opinion, the weather?

MARAT SAFIN: Not much. Just a little bit more uncomfortable to play in this kind of weather than when it's hot. When it's hot, it's just easy to play well. Just everything, atmosphere.

Q. I think it will warm up.

MARAT SAFIN: I hope so. But the rain is coming.

Q. You get the rain first. A roof would be nice.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

Q. Does the name Barbara Winn (phonetic) mean anything to you?

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. We have some footage of you.

MARAT SAFIN: When I was young, yeah. When I was small and cute (smiling).

Q. What do you eat before a match?

MARAT SAFIN: Whatever they serve me. I mean, nothing special.

Q. You don't load up on...

MARAT SAFIN: I'm not crazy about food.

Q. You're not a...

MARAT SAFIN: Do I look like that?

Q. Are you a vegetarian?

MARAT SAFIN: No, I'm not. I eat everything.

Q. You eat anything?

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. How much time before you eat and then play?

MARAT SAFIN: It can be one hour, half an hour. It depends if I'm hungry, if I'm not hungry. I don't have anything like, I'm eating two hours before, like a lot of people do. I'm more relaxed about that.

Q. How do you feel since Paris? What did you do?

MARAT SAFIN: Nothing.

Q. Are you too tired?

MARAT SAFIN: No, I went to Moscow, had four days off. Flew here and started to practice yesterday.

Q. How do you feel about the conditions here? Slow? Much slower than Paris?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, it's slower than Paris. Cold. A little bit windy. But it's the conditions we have to play, so I'm not complaining.

Q. Not as cold as Moscow?

MARAT SAFIN: That's why when we played for that part of the year we played indoors.

Q. Are you still in a good mood of Paris or do you feel tired?

MARAT SAFIN: No, I want to finish up the year very well. Have basically no pressure, because I did my job. I was, like I said, I started the year 89 and finished the year -- have a chance to finish No. 4. So it's a great season. So no matter what I do here, I'll be happy. There's no pressure. It's a good sign.

Q. Have you been surprised at all with Tim's season? He had the shoulder, he came back, and he came back so quickly to the Top 10 this year. He's had his best year at Grand Slams. It's not always what you would expect from someone as they're getting older.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but, you know, I think he really did what he -- the best what he could do. I mean, it's really, for him, it's really difficult to play in Wimbledon because there's a lot of pressure. On clay, he's not really -- it's not his best surface. Australia probably is a little bit too slow. So US Open, the same kind of -- it doesn't really fit his game.

Q. Might as well give up then if that's the case.

MARAT SAFIN: That's the thing, that he never give up, he tries his best. He has a very good tennis career, I have to admit. I really feel sad for him because he gets so much bad comments in his home country. The guy's really trying. He's really trying and he really suffers. I really feel -- every time I see him in Wimbledon, I think just for him it's a nightmare.

Q. But he enjoys Wimbledon.

MARAT SAFIN: That's what he says, but I don't think he really feels this way because he wants to do well. Everybody wants him to do well. And then that kind of thing doesn't turn out good to him.

Q. What about as a player, when you play against him, what are the particular things that he brings?

MARAT SAFIN: Before, he improved a lot on the baseline the past couple of years. Before he couldn't play from the baseline at all. He was serving and volleying. Just the thing was to keep him on the back and that's it. Basically the job was done. But now, he can play from the baseline, he can go to the net, he can put you pressure. He knows, he has more experience. He's older. He knows how to play, what to do, how to run, where to run, all these kind of things. So he's much more dangerous than he used to be before.

Q. It's quite unusual, though, for someone to have their best Grand Slam year in the year they turn 30. I mean, you've obviously achieved things from the time you were 22 that Tim hasn't. I mean, can you imagine what it's like to sort of develop all that time? Obviously, it takes a lot of patience to be able to do that.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, it is. But for every person, it's a little bit different. Some people, they open up very quickly. Some, like Rafter, he open up himself at the age of 27. Some people, they realize, they start to play well at the age of 30; I don't know. But then he plays very good, very decent player. He didn't really achieve "spectacular" win, like he didn't win a Grand Slam. But he was always there. The people always expect him and he always has been treated like a Top 10 player, with a lot of respect. He is just a really, really tough player. Every time you play against Henman, no matter what ranking he is, you have to play really well. I think he's really stable career. Top 10, basically all the time was Top 10 or a little bit close, a little bit down.

Q. But a question about yourself: I remember in Melbourne this year, even that first, second round, and by then you were sort of 80 in the world, you were saying, "My goal is to get back to No. 1." A lot of people were saying that it would be difficult. Do you feel you've made strides towards that?

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but was a little bit difficult for me. Straight after Australian Open, I little bit lost -- I had a couple of bad losses and then I lost a little bit more my confidence. I start to play well a little bit -- I start to play better in French Open. All of a sudden I find myself with a blisters, all these problems. Then my game was completely destroyed. I didn't, I couldn't find my game until Beijing, basically. I didn't really play great for five months, and you have to play well during all the year to be able to fight for No. 1. Hopefully for next year I will be able to be more stable, more - how you say - more regular during all the year. That's why I change the coach. The things are working out quite well. Hopefully, I will be able. That's the most important thing, you know, for me to be stable during all the year. Sometimes I can play great tennis. Sometimes it's just ridiculous how bad I'm playing. So it's just to make the level of playing bad a little bit higher.

Q. Do you think that's something that you will improve as you get...

MARAT SAFIN: Get a little bit more experienced. The coach is very important. He can explain to you, try to make you calm down, try to calm down you or make you quiet. Sometimes you're not really feeling you're playing well, so he explains to you. You know, you keep on working on things, not stopping. Of course you will have one or two bad losses - always. But not to give up. Keep on working, keep on working until it comes back. That's why you need a coach, in order to bring your best tennis faster. When you're playing bad, you play good in a term of one, two weeks. You cannot just spend two months playing shit, basically, then all of a sudden you play great tennis. You basically lost the months. These two months can be your most important tournaments.

Q. And this particular tournament, you had a chance to be No. 1, it didn't quite work out. How has your relationship been with this tournament?

MARAT SAFIN: From coach?

Q. With the Tennis Masters Cup.

MARAT SAFIN: Oh, no, I just -- just important tournament. Doesn't really decide for me anything this week. Just basically you're playing for the prize money, for the fact that you finish the year really well. Just a couple of wins, you'll be able to have enough confidence to start the next year in good shape, have good feelings. So basically if I would be fighting for No. 1, it would be completely different story. It would be a lot of pressure for some other guys and for me. But in my case, I have nothing to lose.

Q. So you're more relaxed and able to enjoy it.

MARAT SAFIN: Yes.

Q. Presumably, you can enjoy this. You're only playing against the best players. That's what you want to do?

MARAT SAFIN: It's okay, yeah. You can enjoy it. The fact that you're already in the Masters is already great. Another thing, I begin the year 89; now I'm 4. So it's also a huge improvement. So I can't be any better. I can't really finish No. 3 in the world. Then I have to go in unpredictable way that I have to win. Lleyton, he doesn't have to win a match. But, still, 3, 4, it's not No. 1 in the world.

Q. I've just spoken with Roger. I watched his Wimbledon final this year. He steps up and plays bigger in the bigger points. Example, at the Australian Open, when he was down 15-40 against Nalbandian and came back and had to win and hit four aces in that last game, Federer plays the bigger points better probably than the rest of you guys. But you've improved lately this year. Do you think that's one of the main areas, you're playing bigger points better? The match can turn basically on one or two points?

MARAT SAFIN: That makes the bigger player even bigger is to play well on the bigger points, not to choke, not to make stupid mistakes and be smart, be patient, go for it, risk it. You have to see it, you have to have it in the glove. It can come also with the confidence, but mainly you have it or not.

Q. Let's say you're not serving, it's a big point, do you go more for hitting a winner on those bigger points or are you trying to force a winner?

MARAT SAFIN: Also depends against who you're playing. You see the other guy, if he's choking, he's not choking, he's scared, he's not scared, what style he's playing, he's playing serve and volley, he doesn't play serve and volley, he's a baseliner, if he's a baseliner, you have to do something, something to force him. And like it depends of the tools of the player.

Q. Do you ever watch tape matches of your opponents to scout them, figure it out? It's huge in American football over here.

MARAT SAFIN: No.

Q. You've never done that?

MARAT SAFIN: No.

Q. Do you think that would be a benefit?

MARAT SAFIN: No, for that you have a coach. He should check and he should see. That's his job, to see and to explain to the player how to play against your opponent. What was the weak points, what he's good at it, what is bad, try to play him this way to be able to beat him.

Q. If we were sitting here next Sunday and we're talking to you after you won this event, what would you give credit, what part of your game, physically, mentally, emotionally, would you give credit to, you think it's going to be the contributing factor?

MARAT SAFIN: Mentally. Mentally and physically.

Q. Can you talk more about that, about the mental side for you especially.

MARAT SAFIN: Because my main problem, for me it's a little bit difficult to play well during all the year. You have ups and downs. For me to finish the year this way and to be consistent for two months ago, it's a huge improvement.

Q. Has it worn you out already?

MARAT SAFIN: No, I can manage to stay one more tournament and to be awake and to play my best, just to finish my year great, in a great way.

Q. These conditions, it's going to be windy probably this week, it's going to be cold. Do you have certain tactics, to serve and volley more, attack the net more, when it's gusty, or do you tend to stay back?

MARAT SAFIN: Different opponent. Same thing, different opponents, we see how it's going to go. Windy, it's going to be cold, it's going to be... we'll see. It depends, it depends on the situation.

Q. In the last week you have had much success. How do you feel at the moment?

MARAT SAFIN: I'm feeling good. Great. Happy. This is last week. I'm looking forward to be able to finish the year a little better than I am right now.

Q. Why are you in such good shape at the moment?

MARAT SAFIN: A lot of work. A lot of months of tough work.

Q. Your trainer is Peter Lundgren, former from Roger Federer. I know him very well. What do you think about Peter?

MARAT SAFIN: He's a great professional tennis coach. He did a great job with Roger and a great job with myself. He knows how to coach the people. He explain -- he's a professional coach. That's really a big plus for him.

Q. What does it mean for you at the end of the season to be here at the Masters Cup, one of the very attractive tournaments?

MARAT SAFIN: It means a lot. I mean, just the fact to be in the best, top eight players, and be part of it, finish the year this way, it feels great, it feels good. It's nice. It's nice to be part of it.

Q. You had a big injury, but you came back now. Why was it important for you to come back and play the world's best tennis?

MARAT SAFIN: Because I really thought that I have a lot of things to achieve and it was too easy, too fast, too early to quit tennis.

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