In fact, i couldn't do a lot of things, because I was going from doctors to doctors to know exactly from what my wrist was suffering. I had to ask for many different opinions from doctors before I knew what was the problem. But the end of season wasn't so far. We were in August, and it wasn't possible to make a resounding come back.

But you've tried to play some tournaments at the end of the season, without winning a match....

That's true. It was hard, because I was scared of hurting myself. I was unconsciously scared of worsen my injury. So I played at 50% of my possibilities, without being physically fit, because I wasn't used to play such matches anymore. So I decided to definitely stop and to take holidays. It was the best thing to do right then.

Staying away that long from the circuit must have been really frustrating...

No, I won't say it was a frustrating experience. Cause without that, I couldn't have the prospect I had during this period. It was a very good experience, which made me realize some things, which I couldn't do by playing on the tour. By playing many tournaments, you're always traveling, and you don't have the time to stop and to think a little bit.

Is there a person in particular who morally helped you during this period?

No. Not one person in particular. But that's important to see that you've friends who believe in you, people who love you for what you are. And who don't care if you're a tennis player or not. Sometimes, they can give good advice. And once again it makes you think.

Did this reflection help you to see your life as a tennis player differently?

Yes, probably. I'm sure that a lot of tennis players are playing without really knowing what they're doing and why. They're always traveling and don't have the time to think about themselves. Maybe that's a good thing for them, I don't know, but I can tell you that for me, it was good to stop and to take the time for reflection. To decide the way I wanted to organize my life as a player, my schedule, and what I liked. I know myself better now.

So you don't think you're able to live 24h/24 for tennis like Pete Sampras used to do?

That's not possible. Sometimes you have to take some holidays. There's a life outside tennis, even during your career. That's inevitable. You can't live exclusively for tennis. Even Pete, I don't think he was living only for that. But he was calm, discreet and wasn't a partygoer so he gave this image of him, but I think it's not really himself. But he relished his life in his own way. On the other hand there are people who like going out. Why not? We're young, and we want to live a little bit. It's not going to harm our tennis. Not if we can find a good balance.

Outside tennis what are the things you like to do?

Normal things, going out with friends like a normal person. You know, I'm missing my friends when I'm on the tour. So I love to go and meet them…friends from Moscow with whom I'm feeling good. We're going out, going to the cinema. Nothing particular. But that's enough to make me happy.

Are your best friends people you've known in Russia before going on the tour?

Yes, there's of all. I've old friends from school, others old friends, and new friends. It's part of the evolution of a person. We're also evolving apart from tennis.

Do you realize that you've done some mistakes in the past?

But that's the same for everybody! When you reach a certain age, you look behind and think, "If I was 18 years old again, I would do this or that differently." It's by doing errors that you become more mature. Now that I'm 24 I can criticize the behavior I had when I was 18. But, to realize that I had to pass by certain stages, it's part of life. Each person adds vances at his own rhythm.

How did you feel when you saw players like Ferrero, Federer, Roddick winning big tournaments in 2003?

They deserve it. They had to work a lot to do that. Look at Roddick who finished the year number 1. He changed his coach, changed his way of working, and it paid off. I was living a different stage of my life. I wasn't crying all the nights 'cause Ferrero won R-G or Federer won at Wimby & the Masters. During the time they were winning tournaments, I was far away of that. Time will come and it will be my turn.

You just lost the final of the Australian Open against Roger Federer. Was the match too much, at the end of a sustain tournament?

Yes, I was too tired to maintain his rhythm. For this matches you need to be there from the start to the end. And I was missing something. I needed a little bit more energy to fight against him. I had my chance in the first set. If I had succeeded to make the difference in this set, the scenario would have been different. I lost it, he became confident, and it became too hard for me.

Despite that, this tournament will give you a lot of confidence for the rest of the season...

Yes, that's great for me. I never would have thought of reaching the final, after what happened to me last year. I beat some very good players and I'll have some other occasion to beat Federer in the season. You know I don't want to scourge myself because I lost a match against him. He's not a badger. He's the n°1, forgive me to remind you that.

What do you think of the arrival of your little sister Dinara on the female tour?

My sister is doing well. She goes on her way. I hope she'll continue this good direction. She's going to be 18 soon; she's still young. But soon she'll have to make her own decisions. She'll have to make some mistakes to move on. Because when someone else takes the decisions for you, you don't think, so you don't move on. And she has to move on. From there, she'll go far.

Do you give her some advice sometimes?

No, I don't want. She has to make some mistakes. Its for her own good. Well, since she takes pleasure from playing tennis, I'll be happy for her.

How do you analyze the success of the Russian girls in tennis?

We have a very good school. And there is… I won’t say a rivalry, that's not the right word, but a lot of ambition. They're very ambitious. Kournikova showed them the way, and now, young girls want to make it like her. She was a kind of heroin to them. They're a lot in the tour who are the same generation of Anna, the generation 80-81, who, seeing her successful, had been inspired. And plus there are more and more coaches who start to know the requirements of the professional tour better, because know they're traveling.

Why there are more good girls tennis players than boys?

The guys, that's a different story. A sad story I think, because they have a lack ambition. I don't know why...Maybe because there are not enough coaches who understand the male tennis. And to succeed you need to have qualified people with you to push you into the right direction. Today, it’s difficult to find them, and I would say that's why we find more good girls than good boys.

And you, do you have the feeling that you know the game enough to travel alone?

Yes, I can travel alone. I don't need a baby-sitter. I don't need someone to wake up me up at 8am and tell me to hit the ball. I'm traveling on the tour since 5 years. Now, I have someone with me I trust and who is also my best friend, Denis Golovanov, He knows tennis very well, cause he was 140 in the world, he gives me some advice. I consider him as my coach, and he's going to follow me on the tour this year. You know, it’s difficult to find someone who wants to travel 42 weeks a year. Many of the good coaches have a family, and they don't want to stay far away from them during all this time.

You just engaged Walt Landers as your physio trainer, and you worked very hard with him in Monaco in December. Does it mean that you're going to tackle your tennis differently, and look after the physical mainly?

No, not really. But I have problems with my wrist and both ankles. My bodyis not the same as it used to be. I'm becoming more and more fragile. As you already know, I already had problems with my elbow, back problems, and I have to be careful, and take care of my body. I'm very tall, and it comprises some disadvantages which I compensate by being attentive to my physical. So I need a lot of massages, a lot of care, and look after at my weak points. Walt is very good for that, plus he coaches me on the physical plan. Its useful that only one person helps me on all that. Like that I don't need to bring a troupe on the tour to take care of myself.

Do you have the feeling that you can reach a superior level than the one you've already reached?

Yes. In fact, I don't know. All I can do is to try. Of course, I want that. And I'll do everything possible. If I will fail or if my body can't, it doesn’t matter. But I can tell you that I will do my best to succeed with my potential.

Your goal of the season is to be n°1 again?

Yes, of course, everybody wants to be n°1. But it doesn’t mean that I'll be n°1 cause it's my aim. The road is long, and the year comprises 365 days. You have to stay constant in the performance, stay concentrated, and do what you have to do, to train and to rest when it's needed. To do the job well, I mean. And when the opportunity comes, you have to take it. Sometimes one or two points make the difference in a match. It can change a season or a career!

Do you think it’s harder for you to reach the top today than it was some years ago?

As far as I'm not on the top, I can't affirm anything. I would say it would be totally different now. At that time, I had nothing to lose. I was very young, fiery, I was discovering the tour, and nothing worried me. Everybody congratulated me always, and I thought it was normal. Today it’s a different story. I'm not going to say I'm old, but I'm 24. And in a certain way, I have to start again, from zero. There are guys like Schuettler or Coria, for example, who were staying around the 30th rank, and who today are settled on the top 10. They're playing great tennis, they're not afraid of anything. They're not afraid of me. I'm the guy who was away during one year and now is far in the ranking. I have to work really hard, win a lot of very good matches to impose the respect again.