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Deshira: (Austin, Texas): Dear Marat, Do you consider yourself a U.S. open favorite because you have won it already, and who is your favorite for the title?

Marat Safin: (3:28 PM ET ) I won a long time ago. A lot of things have happned over the years. There are a lot of guys playing well now. I want to be optimistic. I'm looking to do well there. Let's see if I have luck.

Tori (Gibsonia, PA): How do you feel about the current success your sister, Dinara, is having as she is rapidly moving up the rankings?

Marat Safin: (3:29 PM ET ) I'm really happy for her. She had a few difficult years. She was a little misguided, she changed coaches. But now she's found her way. She's working really hard on her career. Best wishes for her.

Dawn, NYC: What's up Marat! When I travel, I usually sleep the entire way (unless there is turbulence,in which case I hold on to the arm rest of the seat and pray!) and then I am jetlagged for the rest of the day. How do you recover from such long transcontinental flights in time to prepare for tournaments? (I hope you are able to read this--my computer has heatstroke). Stay cool & best of luck in Indy.

Marat Safin: (3:30 PM ET ) First of all, I have done many flights like that. For me it's nothing new. I can change myself pretty quickly, thanks to all the years of traveling. I can find help to the sleeping pills or reading books. There are many ways, not one way.

lucy (los angles california): what cities in the world do you own a home or apartment in right now?

Marat Safin: (3:31 PM ET ) Not many. Monte Carlo and a house in Moscow. But basically, I'm not living anywhere, at the moment. I'm looking to see where I will live at the end of my career. I am looking to buy a place where I will spend my time when I'm done.

Sheryl, NY: How is your knee? Is it bothering you a lot these days?

Marat Safin: (3:32 PM ET ) My knee's OK. I've been doing a lot of work on it. A lot of gym, a lot of weights, a lot of treatments. I'm traveling with a doctor. I'm starting to feel much better. It was not a good thing to come with the hard courts, because that's a tough surface for the knees.

Lydia from Ohio: Is there any one tennis player you haven't played but want to?

Marat Safin: (3:33 PM ET ) I played pretty much everybody.

Andree (Key West, Fl.): Hey Marat, Do you have any specific kind of training schedule and who taught you how to hit that beautiful backhand?

Marat Safin: (3:35 PM ET ) Well, first, we're playing a lot of tournaments, so you try to work as hard as you can between the tournaments and the matches. You have your fitness coach that you travel with certain weeks. You try to keep in shape, but it's difficult to schedule something with the tournaments. About the backhand, unfortunately, you have some shots that are good and some that are not so good. The Russians seem to have a good backhand, but not so good forehand.

Jeremy from Scottsdale: Hi Marat, Was it harder going against the crowd against Pete in NYC or Hewitt it Melbourne?

Marat Safin: (3:36 PM ET ) That's a good one. It's completely different stories. The other guys are playing in their home countries. You try to enjoy it and the people want to see a good final, so they're really not going against you.

Woytek (Cracow, Poland): Which your win do you remember as the most impressive from whole career? Is it the match vs.Federer at AO last year?

Marat Safin: (3:37 PM ET ) The first U.S. Open was the most. It was quite unexpected. It was so good played. Not one mistake. It was too good to be true. It opened some doors for me and my career.

Leslie, Boston: What do you think of instant replay in tennis and the proposed on-court coaching in women's tennis? Also, completely unrelated, do you have enough pull at ESPN to get Fowler and Gilbert fired? If so, we'd be eternally thankful.

Marat Safin: (3:39 PM ET ) Well, the replay I think is great. I think it's interesting. The chair umpire can't see all the balls well. The ball is flying really fast. You have the chance to challenge it. It doesn't make any sense with the women coaches. It's because the coach cannot go on the court to play for them.

Lydia from Ohio: I am so excited to see you play in tournaments again, how did you spend your time the 7 months you were out?

Marat Safin: (3:41 PM ET ) It's a set time, but there's also a relief and a little bit of a holiday. Once you've been traveling a lot and around the tour, you never have a chance to think about anything. So it was kind of nice to have some time off. I enjoyed it. I have some great friends that were supporting me this whole time. I met a lot of interesting people.

Marat Safin: (3:41 PM ET ) I was doing everything that a normal person would do.

Jonathan - Syosset, New York: Currently, what is your main motivation in play pro tennis?

Marat Safin: (3:42 PM ET ) Of course, I hate to lose. That's a good motivation. If I achieve something, I win the tournaments, I improve in the rankings. But it's starting to be very difficult. This is my goal. You need to go step by step, start with winning matches.

julie (san francisco california): hello marat, what is the last movie you saw?

Marat Safin: (3:43 PM ET ) I have lots of chances to see movies, that's all we do on tour. Pirates of the Caribbean was the last one. I was looking forward to it.

Marat Safin: (3:45 PM ET ) Thank you. It's kind of a tough one. Everyone's playing very well. I've been out so many months. In order to perform well, it will be tough on the hard courts. But that's why I came to the States early, to play in the tournaments. I'm going to try to build my confidence. If I can do that, I might be dangerous, but right now I'm still looking.

Danijela,Yugoslavia: Hello champion,I am a fan curious : ) Say me,do you speak about other languages with share English,Russian and Spanish? Excuse my English is very bad? Big kisses,danijela

Marat Safin: (3:45 PM ET ) Well, a little bit of English and a little bit of Spanish.

Sarah: What are your expectations for the summer?

Marat Safin: (3:46 PM ET ) Well, of course, I'll try to get as many points as I can. My position is very important, so I can get up to at least 50. Also to get the confidence for the U.S. Open.

Jonathan - Syosset, New York: Can you discuss your current tennis & fitness training? What is a typical day like for you?

Marat Safin: (3:47 PM ET ) Well, practice in the morning, tennis. Tennis in the afternoon. During the tournaments, tennis in the morning and then two times of fitness in the afternoon.

Sophie,The Netherlands: What are you planning on doing when you retire? (I hope you won't do that soon off course;)) Something tennis related or start a family or..?

Marat Safin: (3:49 PM ET ) I'm not really thinking about retirement yet. At the moment, I'm not making any plans, because you never know where life will take you. I'm thinking about playing another 4-5 years and then time will start to put some pressure on me. You can't really play tennis and think about the future.

Sasha (Boston, MAS): Hello Marat, Who is the friendliest person on the tour and is Rafael Nadal really that intense in real life? p.s. Good luck

Marat Safin: (3:50 PM ET ) Everyone's different on the tour and everyone's a personality there. They all have their own way of thinking. Everyone's pretty much good people. Nadal, he is quite intense. He's the same way off the court as on.

Renee (Louisiana): Hi Marat, Do you have routines you go through before your matches or do you just go out there and play? Thanks!

Marat Safin: (3:51 PM ET ) Well, I have to do a couple of things before my match. I have to tape my ankles. That's a routine. I have to fix my racquets. That's pretty much it.

Ryan, Rhode Island: Do you travel with other players on the tour or do you all take seperate flights?

Marat Safin: (3:52 PM ET ) It depends. It depends on everybody has his own agencies. Everybody has their own groups. And everyone doesn't lose the same day and travel on different days. It's not too often that you have tennis players on the same flight.

James (Montreal, Canada): Do you gain more confidence when you play well but lose or when you win even though you played badly?

Marat Safin: (3:52 PM ET ) Of course, you gain more confidence when you play badly and still win.

nicole: (las vegas, nevada):: How high is your confidence level about playing all of the tournaments leading up to the US Open?

Marat Safin: (3:53 PM ET ) Pretty good. I haven't lost yet.

Andrey: Long Beach, NY: Who are your favorite tennis and basketball players?

Marat Safin: (3:54 PM ET ) My favorite tennis player, I really liked Pete Sampras when he was playing. I don't really follow basketball.

Ranji,Tor Canada.: Hi Marat, Do you feel you can beat any player at any given time?

Marat Safin: (3:55 PM ET ) It depends on your mood and how you're feeling and what's going on off the court. Your private life and any problems off the court can spoil your match. You can't think about too many things or you'll get distracted. You think about this moment.

Marat Safin: (3:56 PM ET ) Thanks for asking all the questions. I hope I wasn't too boring for you guys and girls. Keep supporting the tennis players and we'll try to do as best as we can to give you a good show. We'll try to do our best at the U.S. Open. Don't judge us too hard!