Интервью
Marat Safin
Tuesday, 10 August 2004
9:00 pm
This was not a difficult match. It is important to quickly take the initiative in matches like this, to feel confident and not let your opponent get into his rhythm. I took advantage of the important points in the first set. I broke his serve early and so he had a lot of time to catch up with me. Before the match I was a little worried about not playing too well. It is difficult to get used to clay courts after you have been playing on hard courts for a while as I have been, because the game on clay is much slower. After playing on hard courts I'm not really used to long rallies, so my mistakes were not caused by lack of patience on my part. That's just the way it is after you switch back to clay. Loosing three games at 5:2 is also understandable - Blanco started playing better tennis and it took me a while before I found a way to deal with him. It happens. So my coach doesn't have to work with me on my lack of patience. I am presently working with Roger Federer's former coach, so I believe he knows what he's doing.

I do not know Galo all that well socially, but we often play against each other at tournaments, so I am familiar with the way he hits. He has a typically Spanish game, with which I am also familiar, so you could say that I know how to play against Blanco. It is true that the final here at the Idea Prokom Open coincides with the start of the Olympic Games, but I do intend to go all the way. I'll just have to get on a plane right after the final. The final is still far away.

I got back into the game before my success at the Australian Open but then I just lost the winning formula. After an injury it is difficult to get back it to the rhythm. Every tennis player who was ever injured knows this. One big win is not enough, you need several. It is the consistency of wins that I am still lacking.

I often serve at speeds over 200km/h, but it's not the speed that's most important to me. It is the first serve percentage that I am interested in and I try to keep it high in every match.
Marat Safin
Wednesday, 11 August 2004
7:30 pm
I sort of expected this to be a tough match. Lopez was lucky, especially in the first set. I lost my confidence in this match, so I tried to end points quickly, which was a mistake. Lopez played much better.

The ease with which I hit powerful shots is an important part of my game. That's the way I have to play. I don't know what the Davis Cup captain was thinking when he said that I has enough talent and ability to be number one, but I lack determination. Tennis is like the weather: there are good and bad days. It is very difficult to maintain the highest level of performance. It's easy to stand by and voice various opinions.

What I did last night did not in any way influence my game today. I am a professional, I take responsibility for my actions. I did not come to Sopot to waste my time but to gain points. I'll need them to play in the Tennis Masters Cup in Houston. My start in the Olympic Games had no influence over my game here in Sopot. The Idea Prokom Open was on my schedule and there is still some time before the Olympics.

What sort of game do I dislike? Grass. Wimbledon is very difficult for me. When it comes to the French, I was a finalist and a quarterfinalist and believe that winning it is possible for me, I still have time.

I do not recall saying that tennis doesn't need the Olympic Games. The media always look for controversy in what I say. I have no influence over that. I do believe that for tennis players, winning the Olympics is not as important as winning a Grand Slam. Those are the tournaments that really count.

My sister has a good chance of becoming a great player. She still has some growing up to do, gain experience through playing and losing a lot of matches. She also needs some more self confidence. Dinara was injured during Wimbledon, and Sopot is the first tournament she played after the break. Our Mother is no longer her coach, she has a new one. Mother is here, because Dinara is not easy to work with. A new coach and no mom is the best thing that could happen to her.

I like it a lot here in Sopot. It's like a Polish St Tropez . I'd gladly come back next year, but that decision belongs to the tournament's director.

 

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