Media Conference
Transcript - Dinara Safina, Marat Safin (Russia)
8/01/2009
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DINARA SAFINA (Russia)
MARAT SAFIN (Russia)
Media Conference
Congratulations, reaching the final. Beginning of the week, what sort of chance did you think you’d have?
(Marat) Well, I think we have all the chances. We just need to be calm, be confident and try to be focused at every, every point of the match. Because it’s a final and we want to win. And it’s my fourth time already here, so I’m going to go for it and hopefully it will be good final and we can win it.
Is it more special because it’s with your sister?
(Marat) Of course. I mean it’s gonna be the last time we play together this year so, actually maybe this life so we need to take advantage of it and try win. I think it’s, the Hopman cup is the perfect scenario to end the story here.
In mixed doubles, you would’ve enjoyed that with the knowledge that you need to win to make the final?
(Marat) Excuse me?
Just going into the mixed doubles, you knew that you needed to win to make the finals, so you would’ve enjoyed it?
(Marat) Of course. That’s why I had to be focused and I just would give it, a little bit too nervous to, to play nice game. And they had basically, they were more relaxed and they didn’t have any expectations towards the mixed doubles. It made it much easier for one of course, it was so fast that we didn’t really realise what happened. And then we decided to pick it up and then we started to play better. We started to move better. We started to return and everything came back together.
One of the keys this week, you’ve had a lot of tough matches, but you’ve kept your cool the whole time. Has that been one of the keys?
(Marat) I just have no, no pressure. Anyway I don’t have to defend any points, I don’t really care what’s, I just wanna enjoy on the court. So if I lose, I lose. If I do nothing, nothing will change in my life. So it makes me just want to enjoy, run around, play those matches, next points and go for it. If everything works out then it’s great. Then if not, then is bad luck, it’s the next day. No pressure at all so it’s much easier to play this way.
Your first mixed doubles win I believe in Perth. So good to get that out of the way ahead of tomorrow night’s final?
(Marat) Oh yea, it’s my first I think. First win. So, so I think it’s good for the confidence.
Dinara, your best match of the week tonight?
(Dinara) I think so, yeah. I think I played pretty good match. I mean she is a tough opponent and I think I show my game and I think I still can, can do better. So, I hope but to show the same tomorrow. Even better tomorrow.
What aspects do you think you can improve on? You said you wanted to get a bit better?
(Dinara) Well, there is always still room to improve you know. No, it still is to be more dominant and use more of my shots, you know. So I think I try to do it tomorrow.
Your confidence must be sky high entering the Australian Open?
(Dinara) Oh I mean of course. I mean beating, especially like today, I think it’s a good test for the match. You know, also against Flavia, two top 20 players, and I beat them pretty comfortable. And it’s a, it’s a good. So it means I worked really hard. You know, so I’m just looking forward for every next match and to get better and better.
When you played in the mixed doubles out there, who’s the boss?
(Dinara) Oh him! You don’t see?
You got the first win in the doubles of the week. So that would’ve been pleasing as well?
(Dinara) Oh yeah, of course. It’s nice because this was a deciding one. If we would win we were going into the final. And I really wanted to win. And I think today, just everything came together really well. We were four one down, but in the end all our fighting and turned out our way.
And you play Dominika. She hasn’t lost this week either. Looking forward to that challenge?
(Dinara) Of course. Why not? It’s another match and another practise. It’s not really a practise because it’s a good test for me. I wanna play.
Just for Marat. You’ve been here four times now. First time in the final. It’s a nice way to finish your time coming to Perth?
(Marat) Yeah, well unfortunately back before I didn’t do any better in the years before. So this final, it was the last one, it was the right one so hopefully we can just get out of here and having a success on the tournament. So it’s our chance, our last one, so we have to take it. There is no other way.
I’m sure you’ll have fun against Dominik out there?
(Marat) Yeah well it’s always, it’s always tough matches against him. I mean being the sort of player that’s been around for many, many years. More than me. He’s still running around and tries his best and though he drop in the ranking, well he beat Blake, and in a tough match against Hewitt. Today he destroyed Kiefer. And so he’s a tough one. And also the score between us and the matches and also, he’s going to be tough in the final. But I’m really looking forward. We know each other pretty good so I will take his advantage for me.
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Way to go Marat! 2 - 0 so far in 2009 
Way to go Marat! 2 - 0 so far in 2009 
I could be fully-fledged by Christmas! ;D
