Post by SAFINNO1 on Apr 15, 2009 21:24:30 GMT 3
INTERVIEW FROM YESTERDAY!
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
M. SAFIN/L. Hewitt
6-4, 7-5
An interview with: MARAT SAFIN
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Marat.
Q. You must be pleased you have beaten a guy who just won a title on clay. It's a good sign for you.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, but he arrived like two hours before the match. Not really hard thing to do. But he played well. Just a little bit out of took advantage that he is not used to these balls, I guess, and conditions were not really at his best. But that's why he missed a couple of easy shots in important moments, and I took advantage of it and won the match.
So nothing great. Nothing incredible to write about.
Q. Were you satisfied with the way you moved on the court?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, I spend a couple of days in Spain, five days it took me. Just enough time to get used to the courts. Was lucky to play on Tuesday, so I had the extra day so I could play a couple of sets here with some players. So helped a lot.
Q. Next is Nicolas Lapentti.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, tough opponent. We played only once nine years ago. Tough player. Got back to top 50, I guess. He knows how to play. Has a lot of experience. We'll see how it goes. I think he's playing pretty well. Had a tough match against Stepanek. We'll see.
Q. What is your overall feeling about how you're playing at the moment?
MARAT SAFIN: I take it day to day. I'm not really under a lot of pressure. I just try to enjoy as much as I can see I can enjoy it. Be on the court. Not an easy thing to do.
Q. You manage to have good sensations during the match?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, but it's a little bit tough to play when you know the guy's coming, just arriving, and you have to win. So it's a little bit of pressure there. But overall I served well, I moved around pretty well, so it helped a lot to be comfortable in the court and basically to build up the game running around. It's a little bit easier to play this way on the clay court.
Tuesday, 14 April 2009
M. SAFIN/L. Hewitt
6-4, 7-5
An interview with: MARAT SAFIN
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Marat.
Q. You must be pleased you have beaten a guy who just won a title on clay. It's a good sign for you.
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, but he arrived like two hours before the match. Not really hard thing to do. But he played well. Just a little bit out of took advantage that he is not used to these balls, I guess, and conditions were not really at his best. But that's why he missed a couple of easy shots in important moments, and I took advantage of it and won the match.
So nothing great. Nothing incredible to write about.
Q. Were you satisfied with the way you moved on the court?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, I spend a couple of days in Spain, five days it took me. Just enough time to get used to the courts. Was lucky to play on Tuesday, so I had the extra day so I could play a couple of sets here with some players. So helped a lot.
Q. Next is Nicolas Lapentti.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, tough opponent. We played only once nine years ago. Tough player. Got back to top 50, I guess. He knows how to play. Has a lot of experience. We'll see how it goes. I think he's playing pretty well. Had a tough match against Stepanek. We'll see.
Q. What is your overall feeling about how you're playing at the moment?
MARAT SAFIN: I take it day to day. I'm not really under a lot of pressure. I just try to enjoy as much as I can see I can enjoy it. Be on the court. Not an easy thing to do.
Q. You manage to have good sensations during the match?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, well, but it's a little bit tough to play when you know the guy's coming, just arriving, and you have to win. So it's a little bit of pressure there. But overall I served well, I moved around pretty well, so it helped a lot to be comfortable in the court and basically to build up the game running around. It's a little bit easier to play this way on the clay court.
The boy is improving leaps and bounds on the surface. Wasn't that long ago that many people were saying Rafa would never win on grass ... I guess if you put your mind to it and are willing to learn, anything's possible. 
... I expect a good showing from you in Barcelona. With any luck, you'll be on court last and I can at least see the match. If not, good luck and fairy hugs, just play the match ... and no self-doubt/racquet smashing (how could you do that in MC ... I said it was banned, you muppet) ...
