Hamburg, 10 May 2004
Press Conference with MARAT SAFIN
Safin – Grosjean 7:6 (6), 7:5 

Q: I guess it was nice to get that one in straight sets?

SAFIN: Yes, these are the kind of matches which you have to finish in two sets and make them really short.

Q: Is he a frustrating player to come up against?

SAFIN: No, but he hits the ball very well. It’s just a pain in the arse to … It’s a nightmare to stay in this kind of tennis. Just, it could go the other way round.

Q: You were down 5:2 in the first and then 5: 1 in the tiebreak. How do you think you managed to come back?

SAFIN: I thought I’ll just do it. I decided that if I win or if I lose this set it doesn’t matter. I played some fast points, I was lucky and put the first serve in. He missed some easy balls and I came back. I don’t know why. He should have won the first set.

Q: Are you happy with your performance today?

A. Yes, for me it was great. I was lucky I stayed there. I had to do my best.

Q: How do you feel on clay so far?

SAFIN: I had a couple of great tournaments. Monte Carlo, Estoril went really well. Then Rome against Massu, he’s a great player. I played a terrible match and lost completely my confidence. Now, I have to gain my confidence back by winning this kind of matches.

Q: Do you think Grosjean is far from his good level?

SAFIN: You always have a couple of ups and downs through the year. He doesn’t play well, but for sure he will go up. Probably in the French Open. He will have one really tough match, he will win it and then he will play well. He just needs some confidence and the only way to gain it is this kind of matches, like against me. It’s just play ugly, win ugly (laughs).

Q: Could you say the same about yourself?

SAFIN: Yes, I’m there. Winning ugly.

Q: Didn’t your standard go up though in the second half of that first set?

SAFIN: Well, I couldn’t do, but I didn’t want to lose. I saw that he wasn’t playing really well. And he was also struggling. He was making some abnormal mistakes. So, I thought if I hang in there, I will have my chance.

Q: Can you tell us something about your work with Peter?

SAFIN: It’s a little early. We’ve just been together for two weeks. We started in Rome. We have to get to know each other, but it’s going well – slowly but surely. To make sure that we understand each other, that I don’t bother him, he doesn’t bother me and by knowing what kind of person he is and what kind of person I am. Then we can do something and wait for the results. We plan to work until Wimbledon. We have goals and if we are comfortable with each other and there are results, we carry on.

Q: So you won’t have to pay him a 150$ fine for every smashed racket?

SAFIN: No, he doesn’t work like that (laughs). 

Hamburg, 13 May 2004 
Press Conference with MARAT SAFIN 
Melzer – Safin 6:4, 6:4 

Q: You didn’t look that comfortable out there? 

SAFIN: No, I didn’t feel like playing today. 

Q: The weather conditions? 

SAFIN: No, I just didn’t feel like being on the court. The hour they put me and all that together took over my motivation. 

Q: What’s the remedy now? 

SAFIN: Nothing. I will go home and enjoy my life a little. 

Q: Did you talk about the organisation about the schedule? 

SAFIN: No, they make the schedule the way they like. I have no right to say anything to them or blame them. They decide who they want to see in the first match. 

Q: You were saying before that you were looking forward to this season. 

SAFIN: Yes, but suddenly the weather conditions have changed, the balls are no good, the courts in Hamburg are soft. You get a lot of bad bounces. The balls are ridiculous. Everybody is complaining, but the ATP doesn’t do anything about it. It’s not only me who is complaining, I talked to several other players, also Haas is complaining. But the ATP doesn’t care. 

Q: This debate started in Monaco. 

SAFIN: Yes, because the balls are not satisfying the players. For us players who have a big serve, we can’t play with these balls. Then you have no confidence in your shots. You start to play, you hit a great shot and the ball just goes into the fence. 

Q: Is it the same ball at Roland Garros? 

SAFIN: No, it’s different. 

Q: How long do you think it will be to have your motivation back? 

SAFIN: I don’t know. Hopefully it will be back for the French Open. I’m not motivated at all. After such a match, you don’t want to play and go on the court. You have no reason to fight. 

Q: With the prospect of a Grand Slam coming up … 

SAFIN: First, Grand Slam is only a name. I also have to play tennis there. Hopefully, the conditions are better there. But the stage I’m playing right now is too low. 

Q: Is there a little chance you will not play the French Open? 

SAFIN: I will decide the last moment. If I don’t feel good, I will not go. I will not just go because I have to go. I’m not this kind of person. 

Q: So, if you will not feel like going, you will not go. 

SAFIN: No, I won’t go. 

Q: Is it the same balls here like in Estoril? 

SAFIN: No, it’s different. It’s only Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg. The balls are a real nightmare? 

Q: Can’t the players do anything? 

SAFIN: Yes, the players complain. But the ATP doesn’t do anything. What can we say. It seems the ATP doesn’t care about it. We are not allowed to speak this way, but it’s a fact the alls are not good. It’s not just because I lost today. Also other players complain. From the top 50, it’s 99% who are not happy with the balls because you can’t fee the ball. You don’t feel your shots. If I go the ATP, they’ll fin a thousand reasons and you are the bad guy because you complain. You really have to struggle to win my matches and have to change my game. 

Q: What do you have to do differently? 

SAFIN: If I go for my shots and miss because I didn’t hit the ball properly, I know that. But with this ball, you hit the ball twice, once it is o.k., the next time it just goes into the fence. It’s not stable. As if something was wrong with the air inside the ball. They are like very light stones. Of course, the ATP gets money I think from Penn. But the balls are not properly made. They have to change something. It can still be Penn. 

Q: Where are you going from here? Back to Moscow? 

SAFIN: Yes, I’ll go home and relax. And if I feel like playing I might go to France on Wednesday.