Kooyong Aami Classic

[safinbgfan]

Good luck, Marat! ;D

[Dina]

oh my! i think i'm dead now pray for me! those pics are guilty of my dead people, they're my murderers!

[nonamecomestomind]

hey guys, does anyone know if there is video anywhere of the conference? would be cool to see, cheers

[Anne]

Finally, some real tennis again ;D! Was looking forward to it so much. It has been a few months! Australian Open always is a good tournament for Marat. Although I still think he can come far, but I don't expect anything too much.

Go and kick Andy's ass at Kooyong! You belong with the good guys, remember!?!

[maratski]

Great pics ... thanks !
Good luck Marat tomorrow !!!

[Patxy]

Two more....



And a brief video of the conference...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG2xQ2k8EHo

[Anne]

;D A article from www.tennis.com about the press-conference... Enjoy !

By Tom Tebbutt
MELBOURNE, Australia—At the press conference to introduce the field for this week’s AAMI Classic exhibition at the fabled Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club in Melbourne, it came as no surprise to see who made the best entrance – even though it was momentarily no entrance at all.

The players walked in one by one to sit in eight chairs lined up at the front of the assembled media, and all went fine until it was time for No. 7 – you guessed it – Marat Safin. There a little scrambling by organizers to find the unpredictable Russian but he eventually trotted after a short delay out and took his place.

Next was Marcos Baghdatis, filling in for the ill Roger Federer. He was the only competitor to merit a rousing cheer, thanks to the still-fresh memory of his entertaining run to the 2006 Australian Open final.

Roddick and Davydenko carried on an animated conversation, frequently punctuated with hearty laughter and Safin and Baghdatis did a little kibitzing later.

The players were quizzed about the new Plexicushion courts and Safin added more laughs with a decidedly non-technical answer. “I think it’s a little different because we’re used to playing on green,” he said. “The first impression was a little bit not normal. But you can get used to it. But it’s still a little bit better with the green – in my opinion.”

Gonzalez smiled and said to Safin, “it’s a different color, but it’s just a color.”

He added, “The court is much slower than last year but I think it’s better for my game and the South Americans.”




Notebook

— The introductory press conference at Kooyong began humorously as a Spanish-speaking journalist jumped in and asked a couple of questions to Gonzalez in Spanish, taking all the air out the room for a couple of minutes.

Emcee Jason Dunstall added a little levity, saying, “Any other questions, ladies and gentlemen, before we all duck out and take a course in Spanish.”

— Reports from the Sydney International (officially the Medibank International) have it that tournament communications manager Craig Gabriel has come up with a novel scheme. Frustrated that major media outlets are not using the officially name of the tournament but simply calling it the Sydney International, Gabriel has added a different twist to the common practice having a contest where media types try to forecast the outcome of matches. The daily prize will go, not to someone correctly predicting the winners, but to whomever has the most mention of “Medibank International” in their copy.

— The statistics maven, the stats-meister, the numbers omniscient of tennis – the ATP's Greg Sharko – has finally shown that he is human. Sharko, a walking tennis encyclopedia, fessed up that Augustin Calleri not appearing in the 2008 ATP Media Guidebook was a pure and simple omission.

Reporters arriving in the Australian Open media room received the Guidebook, as well as a single page on Calleri to insert into it. “First time in 19 years and not pleased,” Sharko wrote in an email explaining the error in the usually impeccable publication.

With no long period of tournament play before the Australian Open to assess the form of the players, their own reports are even more in demand than usual.
“I feel fit again, healthy again,” said David Nalbandian, echoed by Ivan Ljubicic and Andy Murray.

Murray, who is coming off a title run in Doha, said, “Obviously, I played well in Doha. It’s been nice with my new team around me. I’ve got a couple of fitness trainers here, a coach, a physio, so I’m looking forward to it [the Australian Open].”

Heat is expected to be a major factor at Melbourne during the middle of the week as Kooyong and qualifying for the Australian Open get underway. "We always expect it to be hot over here,” Murray said about the extreme heat that virtually singes the skin on contact. “I trained for four weeks in Florida before going back home for Christmas, so I tried to get in some training in the heat. But I’ve been doing that Bikram yoga, which is in a 42-degree room, so hopefully I’ll be used to it.”

Murray also said his fitness has improved. “I had pretty much five weeks of training so I feel physically much stronger."
Marcos Baghdatis had a less convincing performance at his first event of the year, losing in the first round of Chennai. But was quick ot accentuate the positive. “I prepared the season very well physically," he said. "So I didn’t play so well in Chennai last week -- but I played good in doubles.”

That brought a round of laughter from his fellow players – a subtle reminder that doubles remains a perennial weak sister to singles.

In general, the players seemed remarkably healthy – except of course for absentees Federer and Haas. Even Safin, who couldn’t resist a final little gibe at the surface, said, “My knee doesn’t hurt. I have been working really hard in Spain for a month and a half and I came out here early – got used to the color.”

But the condition of the player who was originally supposed to be Kooyong's star attraction weighed most heavily on the minds of reporters. Federer appears to have a bad stomach virus and had to spend the night in hospital last Saturday, two days after his arrival in Melbourne. Scuttlebutt had his girlfriend Mirka saying that it was quite serious.

His fellow players aren't fretting. “I can safely say that none of us up here are worried about Roger’s preparation for the Australian Open. I don’t think we’re worried for him. I think I’ll sleep okay tonight," joked Roddick.

Quizzed further about how not playing Kooyong might affect Federer, Roddick conceded, “it’s certainly not going to help, but if there’s anybody who can probably take care of himself and play his way into form, it’s probably Roger.”

The Kooyong event may not have seen the last of Federer for 2008. Event director Colin Stubs claimed he had only communicated with Federer through his management, saying. “I’ve had basically little contact, I’m going to have a little more as the week goes on because there’s a suggestion that he might like to come out and play a match outside the format, just to get a match under his belt if he’s physically able to do so.”

Federer’s No. 1 beef with the current men’s tennis calendar is that it the Australian Open comes to early after the end-of-year-break. One suspects that, in his current condition, that could be playing on his mind a little bit.

A reminder of the more shadowy issues which plagued the game in the second half of last year came when Ljubicic, president of the ATP Player’s Council, was asked about Italians Alessio di Mauro, Potito Starace and Daniele Bracciali recently being fined and suspended for betting on tennis. “I don’t think they are supposed to be suspended,” Ljubicic said. “I think they could get a fine because what they did was really stupid. That’s it. To be suspended nine months [as di Mauro was] because you put a few Euros on a match on the other side of the world was maybe a little bit too aggressive. But those are the rules.

“Maybe it’s more to show the young players that they have to follow the rules, and show all other players that there are rules that need to be followed.”

On on a related note, Stubs was asked if he had any reservations about including Davydenko in the field as a substitute for Haas. Davydenko is currently under investigation by the ATP, prompted by unusual betting patterns during his second-round match in Sopot last summer.

“I thought about it,” Stubs said. “But I took the view that… we’re dealing with allegations here and I reminded myself that in this society we’re innocent until proven guilty. I also noted that he was still on the circuit and seemed to be playing good tennis. He must have been subject to scrutiny from the media at these events and I concluded that he was pretty well able to handle himself. So, I picked up the phone.

“At the time, when I was putting the field together, the ATP had not gotten as far along in the investigation as they are now. It was a consideration at that point, it’s not now.”

[sabz]

Thanks for all the pics!!
Got the press conference for u all to read - i have put the bits Marat said in bold for ya! ;D
I have vanished for a while but I will try and be good and post more often, especially since this is the year Marat will make his comeback hehe

AAMI CLASSIC PRESS CONFERENCE.
8 JANUARY 2008 - KOOYONG LAWN TENNIS CLUB



JASON DUNSTALL: All right. Now we have an opportunity to hear
from the players. I think there are a couple of hand-helds
there, guys, so just grab them when the questions come your way.
I would start with Marat, and also Fernando, who I believe have
had the opportunity to have a hit down at Melbourne Park on the
new blue Plexicushion surface. I guess we would love to get your
thoughts on the surface, how you found it, and what you think the
player feedback is going to be - either Marat or Fernando?

MARAT SAFIN: I thinks it's a little bit different because we
used to play on green, so it's kind of - the first impression
was, was a little bit not normal. But you can get used to it. A
couple of days you can get used to it. But it's still a little
bit - it's better, I think, with the green, in my opinion.

JASON DUNSTALL: Fernando, what about you?

FERNANDO GONZALEZ: It's a different colour, but it's just a
colour. The court is much slower than last year, but I think it's
better for my game and for the South Americans.

JASON DUNSTALL: David, you showed some sensational late season
form with back-to-back Masters titles in Madrid in Paris, wins
over the world's top three players. Are you confident of
carrying that form over to the Australian Open?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yes. I finish last year very good, playing
great tennis, great level, so I'm trying to play the game at the
top players. I feel fit again, healthy again, so I think it will
be a very good Australian Open this year.

JASON DUNSTALL: I think we should also wish you a happy birthday
back for the 1st of January. Did you have any time to celebrate?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No.

JASON DUNSTALL: To Andy Murray, a winner at Doha, you lost a
five-setter to Rafael Nadal in the fourth round of last year's
Australian Open. You have got a new support team with you now:
how do you feel 12 months down the track?

ANDY MURRAY: Yes, I feel good. Obviously, I played well in Doha
last week. I started well last year, as well making the final
there, so it has been nice with my new team around me. I've got
a couple of fitness trainers here, a coach and a physio, so I'm
looking forward to it.

JASON DUNSTALL: You had a couple of mates there from Doha as
well - I'll start with you Ivan: you won Doha last year and you
made the semi-finals this year - a similar type of preparation:
how do you feel heading into the Australian Open?

IVAN LJUBICIC: I feel well. I had a few good matches. I'm
happy with the way I'm playing, I have no physical problems, and
that's very positive these days. So I'm feeling good and I hope
I can play well already this; and, of course, for Melbourne the
Flinders Park is going to be - I hope I'm going to reach the peak
of my form, but we'll see. Again, I'm feeling really good, so
we'll see what's going to happen.

JASON DUNSTALL: Great to hear. Nikolai, I believe you've got a
new manager - I believe it's Ronny Lietgeb, who used to look
after Thomas Muster, former world No. 1. What changes will that
bring to your game, if any?

NIKOLAI DAVYDENKO: You know, just starting season 2008, I don't
know. If you ask me at the end of the season, you know, I can
give some answer. But I try my best, you know, to make some
great result this year.

JASON DUNSTALL: Okay. We look forward to seeing you in action.
Andy Roddick, a part of the United States record 32nd Davis Cup
title, how do you compare the Davis Cup to Grand Slam titles?

ANDY RODDICK: Title; I'd love to be plural on that one, but I'm
not. It was great. I mean, it has been a seven-year process for
us to try to win, and the fact that my team mates are some of my
best friends as well made the celebration a lot of fun. But it
was great, and it was a dream of mine, and I'm happy to have
ended the year on a good note.
\
JASON DUNSTALL: Twelve months further into the relationship with
Jimmy Connors; has that been everything you expected it to be?

ANDY RODDICK: For sure. It's nice. There's only so many people
in the world who understand what it's like to go deep in a Grand
Slam, and he would definitely be one of those people. So it's
nice to have someone who can relate a little bit and who
obviously has done a lot more.

JASON DUNSTALL: Marcos, welcome to you. Great to you see. You
obviously have fond memories of the Australian Open a couple of
years ago where you made your first Grand Slam final.
It's your first time at Kooyong. Do you feel your preparation
this around has made you ready to produce that sort of form?

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: I prepared the season very well physically.
I don't play so well in Chennai last week, but I played good in
doubles so I had some matches on me. But I'm very happy here to
play some matches with the guys and have some fun here and just
get ready for the Open.

JASON DUNSTALL: We are looking forward a great week at this
point in time. We invite questions from the floor.
(Question in Spanish)

FERNANDO GONZALEZ: Do you mind if I - - -

JASON DUNSTALL: Absolutely not. We are all enjoying it.
(Answer in Spanish).

QUESTION: In English: Marat, tell us little bit about your
plans, your adventurous plans with climbing The Himalayas?

MARAT SAFIN: I already answered so many questions. Go on the
internet and check yourself. I just wish that everybody would
experience the same thing, and I think it was a great experience.
I took some time off and it was great. You should go.

QUESTION: Andy Roddick, can I ask you a question? With Roger's
withdrawal, how much of a setback do you think that will be for
his chances to win the Australia Open?

ANDY RODDICK: I can safely say none of us up here are worried
about Roger's preparations for the Australian Open. I don't
think we are worried for him. I think I'll sleep okay tonight.

QUESTION: Do you think it will hinder his preparation? How much
of a dent will it make in his preparation?

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know. I don't know how he feels. It's
impossible for me to say, and obviously I think having won it,
this is a good preparation for it. It seems to be a good formula
for him to come here and play and go beat up on the rest of us
next week. But it's certainly not going to help, but if there's
anybody who can probably take care of himself and play his way
into form, it's probably Roger. Thank you.

JASON DUNSTALL: Are there any other questions?

QUESTION: Andy Roddick, can I just ask you please, there have
been the changes to the surface here, but for the Open how do you
feel about that perhaps being tilted towards - to the local
players? Do you think that's fair, or what are your feelings on
that?

ANDY RODDICK: Is it tilted towards the local players?

QUESTION: Well, that's what we believe the case to be.

ANDY RODDICK: I don't know if that's the case at all. Lleyton
has probably had some of his best results on faster surfaces. I
think that's probably what you are getting at. But, you know,
it's what it is. Everybody is going to play on the same surface
and, as far as having your tournament favour your players, I
think that's probably the way it should be. You know, I'm sure
if any player up here, if they are playing a Slam in their
country - you know, for my sake I would be upset if the US Open
was really, really slow. You know, it has always favoured the
Americans, and kind of that's what it is. Lleyton is always
going to be a great story line here if he does well, so I think
that's natural.

QUESTION: Marat, can I ask a question? Before, you started
playing here a couple of times Australian Open cold, without
playing any tennis in the lead-up. What was it like then and
what were the sort of challenges of not playing any tennis before
you go into an Australian?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, when was that? I don't remember?

QUESTION: A few years ago, I mean a couple of years a Hopman
Cup, I think it was, a couple of years, when you just came down
here and practised and played without any tournaments.
MARAT SAFIN: No, I always played something before - Hopman Cup
or Sydney or Kooyong, so I don't think that's right.

QUESTION: Would any of you ever contemplate going in cold into a
Slam, or is it - - -

MARAT SAFIN: Well, I think that, I think everyone needs a couple
of matches before a Grand Slam, so I don't think it's a great
idea to come straight away to a Gram Slam and try to perform
well, because I have been in a couple a few weeks even without
any matches. It's tough. So I think everybody needs a couple of
them.

JASON DUNSTALL: Any other questions, ladies and gentlemen?

QUESTION: Yes. Andy Murray, can you just reiterate on how you
are feeling this year as against where you felt you were at this
time last year going into the Open, please?

ANDY MURRAY: Physically, I feel much stronger. I worked - you
know, I only had like three weeks off in the off-season last year
and I had pretty much five weeks of training, so I feel
physically much stronger. Tennis-wise, I don't feel a whole lot
different, but I think obviously being physically stronger helps
you mentally as well, so the tennis isn't that much different.
But physically much better.

QUESTION: Nikolai, how much has the (inaudible) and do you think
that's going to affect your play at all?

NIKOLAI DAVYDENKO: Like starting a new season, I try to forget
everything that's happening last year, okay, and it didn't finish
yet. But it's not, you know, my problem, because working, my
manager, lawyers, and that's it. I just try and answer their
consideration in tennis and, you know, try in preparation for
Australian Open.

QUESTION: Spanish again?

JASON DUNSTALL: If you like. We are enjoying it.

(Question in Spanish to David Nalbandian)

JASON DUNSTALL: Any other questions, ladies and gentlemen,
before we all duck out and take a course in Spanish? Last
opportunity to throw some questions?

QUESTION: Andy Murray, maybe the other guys too: It's supposed
to be 41 on Thursday, and possibly the same on Friday. What do
you think of the temperature?

ANDY MURRAY: Pretty hot.

ANDY RODDICK: I won't wear a jacket.

ANDY MURRAY: We always expect it to be hot over here. I trained
for four weeks in Florida before going back home for Christmas so
tried to get some training in the heat. But I've been doing that
Bikram Yoga, which is in a 42 degree room, so hopefully I'll be
used to it.

QUESTION: Can I ask, Colin, is there any heat policy here? When
it hits 41 you just play?

COLIN STUBS: That's it. You just play.

ANDY RODDICK: When are you putting in a roof?

COLIN STUBS: You had better ask Ian Hill. He is President of
the Club.

QUESTION: Question for Marcos: Do you have any goals you have
set yourself for the year?

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: To get in the top 10 and stay there. That's
one of my goals.

QUESTION: Any other goals?

MARCOS BAGHDATIS: Just try to win a medal for Cyprus in the
Olympics, because that's very important for me, and just try to
help my country stay in Group 2, or maybe go to Group 1, in Davis
Cup.

QUESTION: Can I ask then, Marat, how you feel going into this
year and, you have had a hit-up on the new surface? How is it
feeling?

MARAT SAFIN: Well, I have been working really hard for one month
and a half in Spain, came here pretty early, got used to the
colour. Still difficult to see Australian Open with this colour.
But it's okay, we have to deal with that. I think it's going to
be a good year. I've been fit. My knee doesn't hurt. Hopefully
I can stay this way for the whole season, and I be a little bit
lucky; and the guys will lose to me a couple of times during the
year, I think it will make a huge difference in my ranking. ;D ;D ;D

QUESTION: Ivan, I'm not sure if you are still President of the
Players Council, but do you think the suspension and fines that
applied to the Italian players will drive home the point?

IVAN LJUBICIC: I don't think they are supposed to be suspended.
I think they could get a fine, you know, because what they did
was really stupid. That's it. And to be suspended nine months
because you put a few Euros on a match on the other side of the
world was maybe a little bit too aggressive. But those are the
rules and every player has to follow the rules, and they didn't,
so they were fined. And maybe this is more to show to the young
players that they have to follow the rules and show all other
players that there are rules that they need to follow, and I do
feel that they paid too much of a price for that. I think it was
a little bit too heavy on them. But again, those are the rules
and they didn't follow them, so that's what they got.

(Question in Spanish)

JASON DUNSTALL: Final call for questions, ladies and gentlemen,
before we wrap things up. Are there any final questions?

QUESTION: I would just like to ask Fernando: Last year you made
the Australian Open final, which surprised many people. How big
a role has playing in that final, in reaching that final, played
in your preparation?

FERNANDO GONZALEZ: I have a really good memory from last year.
It was my first and only Grand Slam final, and I remember that I
play really good matches, and I came here and I think it was a
really good experience, and I hope to repeat it this year and
have a really good tournament.
QUESTION: Question for Ivan: Just on that first game against
Andy Roddick, what do you think about that?

IVAN LJUBICIC: I think we played last year too. Is that right,
Andy?

ANDY RODDICK: Two years ago.

IVAN LJUBICIC: I think there's going to be a lot of long
rallies, kick serves and staying back 5 metres. No, of course
it's going to be a powerful game, there's no question about that.
But, you know, we play a few times so we know each other pretty
well.

ANDY RODDICK: You're wrong. I've changed it up for this year.

IVAN LJUBICIC: We will see.

ANDY RODDICK: You are going to be so surprised.

IVAN LJUBICIC: One-handed backhand?

ANDY RODDICK: Two-handed forehand.

IVAN LJUBICIC: Two-handed forehand. We will see. I mean, as I
said, I'm ready, and I have more energy than I had last year
coming from Doha, playing five hard matches. This year I played
only three, so I have a lot more energy this year and I can give
a little bit more so we will see how it's going to go.

QUESTION: Andy, would you mind saying what your approach is?

ANDY RODDICK: Yes, it's pretty much the same. It's going to be
big serving, and I think the biggest thing is here you want to
get matches against this type of field. That's great preparation
for next week. I think that's what my main concern is.

QUESTION: Andy, how do you feel about everybody talking, first
top three players Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, taking Grand Slams,
and your name is going a little bit in the shadow? How does it
feel?

ANDY RODDICK: That's okay. It's what it is. Obviously, I think
Federer and Nadal have established themselves over the last
couple of years as the best two for the last couple of years. It
will be interesting this year to see how Novak goes. He had a
good year last year, now he is No. 3 in the world, and people
will be coming after him. It's going to be a new position for
him, but that's fine. I don't need to be talked about all the
time. It's not something I'm that concerned with, you know. I
just try to go out and win matches and, you know, if people are
talking, great; if not, it's not that big of a deal to me.

JASON DUNSTALL: All right, ladies and gentlemen. I think that
brings the press conference to a close. We thank the players for
making themselves available. Obviously, some of them have
travelled long distances to be here, so we look forward to four
great days of tennis over the Kooyong Classic, and we thank you
all for your attendance
- - -


DAVAI MARAT!!!
and Di - have fun u lucky minx!

[maryb]

I knew it! Big Yin v Andy. It's okay guys, I'm backing the Big Yin.

Watch out for that drop shot ... and like it or not, you'll need to come in to the net. Andy will try to set up angles to suit his game ... don't let him. He was struggling with getting the first serve in last week - jump on that second serve at every opportunity - and keep the ball in play.

And don't do anything daft! (The major piece of coaching advice).

Cybercoach aka double o fairy

[Mrs. Fabregas]

Jan 8, 2008 23:58:30 GMT 3 maryb said:

I knew it! Big Yin v Andy. It's okay guys, I'm backing the Big Yin.

You better , or else

[maratski]

Great to read that Marat got a very good motivation for the upcoming season !!!

[Mrs. Fabregas]

;D ;D

Marat just won the first set. 6-1

You can be very very proud, Mary , net approaches, attacking play.... pretty good ;D

And ... He's still wearing his mango Big Bird outfit

[Mrs. Fabregas]

;D


Marat WON!!!!!!! Defeated Andy, 6-1 6-4

Next up, Andy Roddick in the Semi's

[Dina]

oh! that's a great news!
roddick? ooohhhh it smells like DC!
davai maratik, proud of ya hbibi!

[Dido]

;D ;D