Hope u'll understand my bad english...
"Why should we take all seriously?"25/05/07 Interview of Marat Safin - l'Equipe Magazine- Vincent Cognet.
E: When we look at your career at Roland Garros, we see that there are a lot of matches, emotions but also lot of ups and downs...M: It had been in a lot of tournaments. But really, Roland Garros had been my first "real" tournament where my career began. After RG 1998, I first stepped into top 100. I came through qualifying, beat Agassi, Kuerten (defending champion) and then lost to Pioline in a match I could had won. Later, I went to quarter (2000) and semi final (2002), I did not pass far from the victory. Unfortunately, that seems to be far today.
And it’s going to be even more difficult for me to win the tournament.
E: Is Roland Garros still your favorite tournament?M: Absoluetly. I love Paris, I like the crowd, the courts, the atmosphere…People had always been great with me, whatever I played bad or good tennis, they still supported me. I’m not that young anymore, I’ve got to enjoy these moments. I like going to Roland Garros. But it’s better to be there, having won matches and pass first week. But now, it’s harder than years ago. When I went to semi final in 2002, Federer didn’t play well on clay, Nadal wasn't even here! And I don’t even talk about the new generation, Djokovic, Gasquet, Berdych, etc.
E: What’s the most difficult thing at Roland Garros?M: A lot of things depend of the draw. With a good draw, you can hope to play the second week there. And then, everything is possible: you are more confident, you can play your best tennis and you start to be dangerous.
E: Your first stay here dates from 1997. You lost at the first round of the junior Roland Garros. What do you remember of that period?M: It was tough for me at this stage. I didn’t have money. My sponsor left me. I stayed at Moscow for two months…I thought my career was finish before it started. I asked big companies like IMG or Octagon to help me and give me some money. The agents came at the first round to see how I played and they left saying “ this guy really has nothing special…”. Finally, IMG gave me 5000$. And then all started…
E: Did you immediately like it?M: Of course! You meet all the great players, that’s give you some motivation and you understand all sacrifices you have to make to play at their level and be a pro tennis player.
One year later, I played the “real” tournament. For me, they’re as different as chalk and cheese. Can you imagine? In 1998, I beat Agassi on the Suzanne – Lenglen court and Kuerten on the main court…What a change in one year! My priorities changed, I didn’t see life as I used to…
E: How was Marat Safin at this time?M: (He smiles) Young. I had no worries. I didn’t know anything…But it was a fantastic period: I only had to care about my tennis. Life was cool. I did a lot of mistakes…Today, I still wonder how I could act this way and do such things…When I think about it, I reddened! (laugh) But I had fun, I had a beautiful life…At this time, all I wanted was to buy a car and an apartment. Obviously, I first bought a car…It was a Volkswagen, I remember I bought it 1500$. But it was nice to be young, and start to earn money…
E: Do you regret this period?M: Yes, I miss this life because I know it won’t happen again. When you grow up , you start to care about your future. But life it’s also lives present! True or not, good or bad, it doesn’t care. It’s experiences.
Some say that only the fools do not learn their errors. That’s stupid: life is too short, there is just enough time to make mistakes! We spend your life making mistakes! But it’s cool! At least, you enjoy life and have good times! Why should we take all seriously?
E: Let’s go back to Roland Garros. What did miss in 2000 and 2002 to win the title?M: In 2000, in quarters against Magnus Norman, I had a chance but lost it at the end of the fourth set. He was tired, he started to be nervous, the match was sliping through his fingers. But I missed two break points…This year, I played a great tennis. I won Barcelona, Mallorca, reach Hamburg and World Team Cup’s finales. I was probably a bit too tired to go futher. Great moment, anyway…In 2002, it was awful. I reach the semies without playing good tennis, I had no coach, I felt lonely. I didn’t feel my tennis. All kind of things could had put me into bad mood…The worse thing is that if I had beat Ferrero, I would had play Costa in the finale and his game didn’t give me any problems. This is the big regret of my carer.
E: For French crowd, one of your unforgettable match at Roland Garros is your defeat against Fabrice Santoro in 2001…M: (he grimaces a bit) I couldn’t play against Fabrice. It was a mental problem. All started when I first played him (defeat 6/0.6/4 in Washington in 1999). I still don’t know what happened. Then, I lost some matches against him, simply because I could never beat him. It wasn’t because of his game but…He knew he was mentally stronger. That is what happened this day; since the first game, he understood I wasn’t well. He is a clever man, he started to play his game. It drove me crazy but it was my fault not his.
E: Three years later, in a match against Mantilla, you dropped your pant down…M: Yes, but it wasn’t a hysterics! On the contrary! This match was incredible, we both played a super tennis. In the fifth set, we played a hard and fantastic point when I suddenly hit a perfect drop shot. I run without believe much in it and I succeed a passing with a nice angle. This point was so amazing that I dropped my pant down! Like that, without thinking! I grown up in Spain and there, it was a tradition: when we played a great point, we dropped down our pant. At Roland Garros, some people didn’t understand but it didn’t mind. I payed a 2000$ fine but it was worth it!(laugh).
E: This is surely not the only fine you had to pay in Paris: three times you refused to go to the press conference…M: Yes, after my defeats against Hrbaty(1999), Santoro and Gonzales (last year). Everytime it was stupid defeats in which I played stupid tennis. I know how it goes: they always ask this stupid question: “Marat, what happened today?”. I refuse to answer those questions. This is typical from some journalists: “And why that? Why this?” They push you until you say foolish comments. I don’t regret my quotes but when I’m in bad mood, I better have to stay quiet.
E: When you lost to Pioline in 1998, you couldn’t avoid French crowd’s pressure. Did you progressively start to like the Parisian crowd?M: It’s a great crowd. You know, there are places where people don’t understand tennis. In France, they respect players and understand the game. They don’t push you down even if I play badly. In fact, they let you play your game and do what you want on court. I played in Bercy, Lyon, Pau , etc…and it’s always the same. The big quality of the French crowd is that they respect the players.
E: Some players don’t like the main court. Is it the same for you?M: No, the only court I don’t like, is the Suzanne-Lenglen. It is too narrow. Contrary to this court, the main court is perfect for me. But what I like the most on court, is that people are interested in the game. They are quiet and then, restless when it needs. We really feel that people are with you when you are playing, that they really are a part of the game.
E: What do you do in Paris during your days off?M: I don’t stay at the hotel. There is a “must” for me: I go to the
Café de l’Homme, owned by my friend Arnaud Casagrande (former coach of Nicolas Escudé). I usually go there on the first evening. I also go to
l’Avenue, avenue Montaigne,
Chez André at the hotel
Costes…There are classics. I like eating and I like good food. I also like to stay at a terrasse of a café and observe people’s behaviour. How they walk, what they wear, how they behave…there are so much different personalities.
E: You stay at the hotel during the tournament. Did you never think about renting a flat here?M: Years ago, I wanted to buy one. But French taxes…it’s a joke! And renting one…the asset at the hotel is that someone clean the room. If I rent an apartment with friends, it would become a big garbage…three or four guys in a flat, can you imagine? (laugh)
E: Does something surprise you in the french mentality?M: Some French are arrogant but I mostly find them cool and relaxed.
They live a boheme life. They like seat down and talk for hours…We can repear a French at 100 metres far just because of his clothes or haircut. Me, that’s how I see them: seating down at a terrasse, drinking tea or coffee and smoking a cigarette. French enjoy life and I like that!
... When that's official.... We'll see 
Glued to the TV for the rewst of RG then ;D!
