Post by SAFINNO1 on Jan 30, 2005 17:07:20 GMT 3
Q. What has your coach brought to your game?
MARAT SAFIN: Just really to believe in yourself. I never believe in myself before at all, until I start to work with him. Took us little bit longer time than usually people need to come up with results. But it went right, went in the right way. We worked really hard. We communicate really well. He understood who I am and I understood what he wants from me. It like took us basically four or five months before the results came. But then once the results came, they are there. They are continuing to come.
You just he makes me believe that I can be a good player and I don't have so much doubts about myself, about my tennis. Of course, we're not talking about this match today particularly, because it's I guess completely different story. It's a final of a Grand Slam, you know. Just like I said before, it's little bit different story. But I think it's just in other matches I am a little bit more calm and more confident in a way.
Q. How come you didn't believe in yourself when you had the results you had?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but it just it's a little bit difficult because once you have bad losses, like when people start to think you're not it's a public opinion, basically. Because the people that speak, they speak, you listen. The rumors, once it gets into your head, it's difficult to accept and you really start to believe that maybe it's who I am, you know. I have a talent, I'm a good player, but not good enough to be where I want to be. You can just lose to anybody, you can beat anybody, but that's it. They say that's who you are, and it's the maximum you can get.
Just it's little bit disappointing, you know, for the person like me to hear that and really to believe in that because I really start to believe that, you know, like that's it, that's just who I am.
Q. How about believing in Wimbledon?
MARAT SAFIN: That's a different story. Wimbledon, is not my fav but, you see, the people, they interpret like what I said at Wimbledon, they took it to such extreme way. So basically all the headlines, like for one day I was so famous because I said something which is has nothing to do with the tournament, has nothing to do with anything around the tournament. Just I said my opinion that I don't like the surface, I cannot play on that surface, and I feel like I can't waste my time, my energy on that surface. That's it.
It's my opinion. I didn't say anything wrong. I didn't say anything bad about the Wimbledon. But just, you know, like I am feeling that I can't is not my surface. For some people, they cannot play on clay. Some people, they cannot play on hard court. So me, I can't.
It's more psychological, of course. But just even though that I had a good result one year, but I don't I don't feel comfortable on that surface. That's it.
Q. How important for you is to have Walt Landers on your team?
MARAT SAFIN: Uhm...
Q. He worked with great tennis players in the past?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, that I know already. I have to admit that the job he is doing, he's really good. He's an incredible masseuse, and I have to admit that, even though he is... You know what I mean (smiling), you know.
But he's really good professional. He's a great, great hands. And he really can recover any person just in a matter of just day, hours, because he knows the body really well and he just he's good what he does, I have to admit.
Q. You played Lleyton 10 times before. Has he ever retrieved as well as he did tonight? He was running all over town to get balls.
MARAT SAFIN: He was there. He was there. He was running. But to be honest, I think he little bit run out of gas today. At the end, you know, he saw his opportunity, but then something went when I got the break in the third set, he just something happened inside of him that he didn't believe anymore that he can win that match, and he start to miss. I really felt that he's not as fast as he could be.
Just he couldn't you feeling these things, you know. Like when you play against him, he's just everywhere. And today he was missing the extra step that normally he makes with the passing shots, with everything, anticipation, all these things, with the lobs, just everything, just an extra step. I could feel it.
And then the fourth set, I think he just he couldn't he couldn't handle it, I think.
Q. When he double faulted to end the third set, was that a beautiful sight?
MARAT SAFIN: Just I was praying for that (smiling). I was praying. I was praying because I really needed that point. I needed a present. I need a present, because otherwise, you know, like it's too much. It was such a relief for me. It was, yeah, just great present and right time.
Q. You talked about your nerves. Is that something that gets easier? The more Grand Slam finals that you play in, can you control it better and go on to win lots of Grand Slams? Or will you always become nervous, is that just part of you?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I hope not. Hopefully I will get to the final and hopefully I will have the opportunity to be in the final and have a chance to win the final.
But, of course, it's little bit, like I said, I already lost two of them here. For me, last time I won a Grand Slam was in 2000. People start to tell you that I will never win again. "He's a good player, but he's not a winner of Grand Slams because Federer is there, Roddick is there, Hewitt is all the time very close to the finals."
Just like I said, it was such a relief. So hopefully it will help me a lot for next time. Even though I didn't play such great tennis like I played in 2000, today especially first set, but it really gave me the hope and to believe in the confidence. You know that even though if you are not playing really well in the final, it doesn't really matter. You can, just by fighting and taking your chances, you can win it.
).
MARAT SAFIN: Just really to believe in yourself. I never believe in myself before at all, until I start to work with him. Took us little bit longer time than usually people need to come up with results. But it went right, went in the right way. We worked really hard. We communicate really well. He understood who I am and I understood what he wants from me. It like took us basically four or five months before the results came. But then once the results came, they are there. They are continuing to come.
You just he makes me believe that I can be a good player and I don't have so much doubts about myself, about my tennis. Of course, we're not talking about this match today particularly, because it's I guess completely different story. It's a final of a Grand Slam, you know. Just like I said before, it's little bit different story. But I think it's just in other matches I am a little bit more calm and more confident in a way.
Q. How come you didn't believe in yourself when you had the results you had?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but it just it's a little bit difficult because once you have bad losses, like when people start to think you're not it's a public opinion, basically. Because the people that speak, they speak, you listen. The rumors, once it gets into your head, it's difficult to accept and you really start to believe that maybe it's who I am, you know. I have a talent, I'm a good player, but not good enough to be where I want to be. You can just lose to anybody, you can beat anybody, but that's it. They say that's who you are, and it's the maximum you can get.
Just it's little bit disappointing, you know, for the person like me to hear that and really to believe in that because I really start to believe that, you know, like that's it, that's just who I am.
Q. How about believing in Wimbledon?
MARAT SAFIN: That's a different story. Wimbledon, is not my fav but, you see, the people, they interpret like what I said at Wimbledon, they took it to such extreme way. So basically all the headlines, like for one day I was so famous because I said something which is has nothing to do with the tournament, has nothing to do with anything around the tournament. Just I said my opinion that I don't like the surface, I cannot play on that surface, and I feel like I can't waste my time, my energy on that surface. That's it.
It's my opinion. I didn't say anything wrong. I didn't say anything bad about the Wimbledon. But just, you know, like I am feeling that I can't is not my surface. For some people, they cannot play on clay. Some people, they cannot play on hard court. So me, I can't.
It's more psychological, of course. But just even though that I had a good result one year, but I don't I don't feel comfortable on that surface. That's it.
Q. How important for you is to have Walt Landers on your team?
MARAT SAFIN: Uhm...
Q. He worked with great tennis players in the past?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, that I know already. I have to admit that the job he is doing, he's really good. He's an incredible masseuse, and I have to admit that, even though he is... You know what I mean (smiling), you know.
But he's really good professional. He's a great, great hands. And he really can recover any person just in a matter of just day, hours, because he knows the body really well and he just he's good what he does, I have to admit.
Q. You played Lleyton 10 times before. Has he ever retrieved as well as he did tonight? He was running all over town to get balls.
MARAT SAFIN: He was there. He was there. He was running. But to be honest, I think he little bit run out of gas today. At the end, you know, he saw his opportunity, but then something went when I got the break in the third set, he just something happened inside of him that he didn't believe anymore that he can win that match, and he start to miss. I really felt that he's not as fast as he could be.
Just he couldn't you feeling these things, you know. Like when you play against him, he's just everywhere. And today he was missing the extra step that normally he makes with the passing shots, with everything, anticipation, all these things, with the lobs, just everything, just an extra step. I could feel it.
And then the fourth set, I think he just he couldn't he couldn't handle it, I think.
Q. When he double faulted to end the third set, was that a beautiful sight?
MARAT SAFIN: Just I was praying for that (smiling). I was praying. I was praying because I really needed that point. I needed a present. I need a present, because otherwise, you know, like it's too much. It was such a relief for me. It was, yeah, just great present and right time.
Q. You talked about your nerves. Is that something that gets easier? The more Grand Slam finals that you play in, can you control it better and go on to win lots of Grand Slams? Or will you always become nervous, is that just part of you?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I hope not. Hopefully I will get to the final and hopefully I will have the opportunity to be in the final and have a chance to win the final.
But, of course, it's little bit, like I said, I already lost two of them here. For me, last time I won a Grand Slam was in 2000. People start to tell you that I will never win again. "He's a good player, but he's not a winner of Grand Slams because Federer is there, Roddick is there, Hewitt is all the time very close to the finals."
Just like I said, it was such a relief. So hopefully it will help me a lot for next time. Even though I didn't play such great tennis like I played in 2000, today especially first set, but it really gave me the hope and to believe in the confidence. You know that even though if you are not playing really well in the final, it doesn't really matter. You can, just by fighting and taking your chances, you can win it.
).
Oh,and i'm happy that i'm writing this message while watching a replay of Marat's match! 
and then had to go to my expedition training day, which was brilliant, but we were doing team building exercises outside and a group of ten of us were in a human knot.....all holding hands n tangled up, and we were just getting ourselves out of it n my phone started to ring, my teacher got my phone out my pocket n answered it, everyone was like oooohhhwww chriiis cmon, turn ur phone off mate, and it was my mum, but he wouldnt tell me what she said!!! AND I KNEW IT WAS THE RESULT OF THE MATCH!!!!!! but whatever, the whole time we were getting out of the knot i looked at him n he kept smirking at me like i'm gonna make u wait, and we finally got into our circle again and he sed, christina ur mum says safin won and i started screaming and jumping around the playground like a friggin lunatic and everyone was like WTF!!!!!! and i was hugging everyone, and basically ended up hyper for the entire rest of the training day and just ran home from the ferry....I NEVER run!!!! and OMG!!!!! i still can't believe it, its just, UNREAL!!!!!!!!!
