Kooyong Aami Classic

[Annie]

That's our boy ;D ;D ;D First significant non DC win since God knows when ;D ;D ;D Well done Marat, let's keep it rolling!!!!

[Dina]

here you are sweethearts!

AAMI CLASSIC
9 JANUARY 2008
PRESS CONFERENCE - MARAT SAFIN



Q. Marat, it was pretty quick out there. Did you even surprise

yourself how easy you did it?

A. Well, of course, such a long time I didn't play such great

tennis, first be surprised the way I played and the way I

started to play from the beginning, so pretty impressive

for me.

Q. Does it change your mind about the colour of the court? Do

you like it now?

A. Well, it's just, it's a little bit different for me. Like,

it's kind of weird because always, I played for ten years

here in Australia, was green, so now it's all of a sudden

blue, and it's really, like, too bright and I think they

should maybe mix up some colours. But only my opinion. It

doesn't mean I'm complaining. Australia was always green,

but the green colour no more. Even the sides in Australian

Open are still green and the rest is blue, so it's pretty

funny.

Q. Does it actually make a difference on the court?

A. It's not as cool. Of course, we are going to get used to

it, but just - why blue?

Q. You were practising with David Nalbandian today when he

hurt his back. Did he show much discomfort when you were

hitting up with him?

A. Well, we played a couple of games and he didn't really run

a lot on the court and he didn't tell me what was going on.

I don't think players want to share their problems with

other players just in case, and then I found out afterwards

that he was stretching pretty long time in the locker room


AAMI CLASSIC 9/1/08 1 SAFIN
today, and I think it was, he got hurt in the practice.

Q. Marat, you were pretty aggressive out there today?

A. Well, if I'm not aggressive I have no chance to play

against anybody and to try to beat somebody like a top 10

players guy, a guy from the top 10. I need to be

aggressive - that's my game - and to keep their, the points

pretty short; otherwise I start to run a little bit and it

starts to get complicated.

Q. You looked in very good touch, though. Are you positive

about how the next two weeks might go?

A. I've been working pretty hard and I've been one month and a

half practising hard, practising seven hours a day, so I

think it should be paying off at the end of the day, so I'm

waiting, expecting something to come.

Q. Is it a goal to get back, all the way back into the top 10

in the world?

A. I'm 60 in the world, so for me to get into the top 50 is

already a big goal, and from there I'll take the top 30,

and step by step. I don't have high expectations because

it's pressure I don't need at all. I think if I manage

myself not to break myself on the way, I think I'll be

somewhere around top 20, and from there it is easy to think

about top 10.

Q. Marat, you play Andy Roddick next game. You are three and

four against Roddick. Aside from that, how would you

describe your rivalry with him?

A. Again?

Q. How do you describe your rivalry with him?

A. Well, I beat him first, I think, couple of times at the

beginning of his career and - this is what you are asking?

Q. Forget the numbers but, you know, do you like playing


AAMI CLASSIC 9/1/08 2 SAFIN
against him? Do you like beating him? How do you feel

playing against him?

A. Oh, he's complicated tennis player because he's just, he

serves well. So first of all he serves well, and then when

he's in the rhythym, everyone gets to try them. Then you

have to break the rhythm because then you have to play much

faster and then basically you are going all the time behind

him. So it's just break the rhythm, maybe take some time

between the serves, but just a few things you have to make

just so long, because when he's in the mood he's pretty

tough. He just serves, serves, serves, and then he builds

up the point with the forehand, and then he start to get

much more comfortable on the court, and that's what makes a

huge difference. Then he puts a lot of pressure on an

opponent's serve, starts to play without missing any balls,

everything from the backhand, and makes things complicated

for the opponent.

Q. Marat, you said you have been working very hard and you

obviously - how long is it since you felt this good? How

long, would you say?

A. How many years - long, many years. Just, I needed that,

because I've been suffering still from the, from my knee

injury. That took me quite a long time to recover. And

then also to play against good players, I was not a hundred

per cent fit. I couldn't do things to work on my legs, so

I had to be careful with that. I couldn't run for a long

time and I change completely my movements on the court, so

I was kind of struggling with my game because I lost it

completely due to my injury, so I had to develop some other

game and, of course, it went, was getting worse, worse and

worse, until I had to stop, and start to get healthy again


AAMI CLASSIC 9/1/08 3 SAFIN
and build up some muscles in my legs to make sure it

doesn't, I don't break my knee, and just so I can hold on

and I can run around the court and be much faster, because

the tennis became much, much faster than the years before.

The players are very fit, and to be able to play against

them you need to be a hundred per cent, otherwise there's

no chanced to be round top 20 and to play, to be in 60 in

the world is not really my goal.

Q. I mean, when you won the Australian Open three years ago

you came from very low down in the rankings; do you feel

the same way again, or is it different?

A. First of all, just tiring to make comebacks all the time;

so first of all it was the elbow, then it was the wrist,

and then it was the knee, and all the time I had to come,

climb back from 80s in the world, 100s in the world, and

it's just kind of tiring. And there's a lot of pressure

because people expect you, and they put you on a clock:

"When you going to come back to the top 20, top 10?" So

the injury was a different story, but it's just been a pain

in the arse, to put it simply, to be in that position all

the time.

Q. Do you know?

A. No. Finally I feel pretty secure and I can wait for some

results.

Q. You don't worry about your ranking at this stage?

A. Of course I worry about my ranking, but I have nothing to

defend. I have no points left, so I can just play my

matches, and I'm pretty sure I can't get any lower than

that - I hope.



- - -


AAMI CLASSIC 9/1/08 4 SAFIN

[Annie]

Our boy during practice ;D







From his match against Murray

[Annie]

More Australia practice pictures ;D













And some more from the match

[uranus]

Well done!
Thanks everybody for the pics!!

[yse]

[mackiemad]

just thought i would post my ideas on how he played, having seen him live.
murray looked a little tired but marat did play much better than him. marat served well (the surface is slower than rebound ace, but keeps the slices low and gives the kick serves an extra punch), he volleyed well (he already has good touch for this time of year) and his backhand was working brilliantly. sometimes he overdid the forehand but that might be because it was gusting a south westerly today and quite hard conditions. but most importantly his movement around the court seemed to have improved half a step on last year. whether it is fitness or merely the knee slowly getting better, he certainly moved well-not as well as he did a few years ago but better than i saw him last year. so- WOOT!

it wasn't hot today, a delightful 30 celcius, tomorrow will be 40 celcius so we will se really how fit he is and how the surface goes in the heat then. bring on roddick!

[Su]

Hi!
What a great win!!! ;D
I don't like Murray, so the win is even BETTER!!!

Jan 8, 2008 21:01:03 GMT 3 Anne said:

Go and kick Andy's ass at Kooyong!

Well, I guess that I couldn't say it better!

For those that watched the game, what can you say?
(A fan's view is the better view! )

(sorry for the last post! )
(Annie, I really don't think that it was an insult! But you're the boss! !)

[helen10]

;D ;D Wow!! Fantastic result - I know Murray wasn't at the top of his game, but still an amazing win which should give Marat a lot of confidence. Just need that forehand to start working better and things should be looking up for 2008. Woohoo!!! ;D

[Annie]

Mackie thanks for the recap - very useful since I didn't get to watch. Glad he is looking good.

Su Thank you. I appreciate it. I know what you mean and I am not the biggest Roddick fan myself but I know people who wouldn't be too overwhelmed reading what you wrote before

Thanks again for understanding, I appreciate it

[maratski]

thanks all for the great pics !!

[maryb]

Jan 9, 2008 7:47:59 GMT 3 Mrs. Fabregas said:

;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

Thataboy ... well done, Big Bird! I'll get you a bag of sunflower seeds for this win! ;D You muppet, you can play at the net and attack. I'll get you a Wimbles title yet. Okay, granted we should be concentrating on AO at this time of year. Well done though.

I have had a really, really crap day - problems with the trains (track and signalling problems across the network - third night getting home at 7.45pm, knackered ...) ... gale-force winds (my 'wedding cake tree' of 8 years copped it ... the fence has blown away ... my planthouse lost its glass lid ... need I go on ... a typical crap Scottish winter storm) ... but the Big Yin got his 'c' (the word that should not be uttered) back! Cheers, you've put the smile back on my face. I was hanging around Central Station waiting on yet another delayed train to get home tonight and it flashed up on the screen 'Murray setback for AO, Safin win'. I instantly recovered from my depression and stood there in the station grinning like a muppet. Thanks pet, you made my day. Keep going though for the next 3 weeks!

Okay, down to the serious stuff. Tactics for beating Andy 2. Much the same as per Scottish Andy. Net approach and aggressive play. Just try to get that first serve back in play - nothing fancy, straight returns. Think about how Maestro beats Andy 2 ... it ain't about power, it's about touch. Keep those wee feet moving at the net. Keep the ball in and set up the opportunities to get in (you being such an expert at the net these days). ;D Use the power when it's needed - use your touch play more.

Cybercoach

PS Anybody got this match on DVD that I can beg, borrow or steal? I'd love to see these two play.

[maryb]

Jan 9, 2008 12:36:40 GMT 3 Annie said:

Our boy during practice ;D



And can I just say, the muscles still unsettle me. Quasi-Rafaesque. ;D He's obviously been keeping them hidden under his Big Bird outfit.

I've been feeding him too much fairy dust.

[maryb]

Jan 9, 2008 12:32:31 GMT 3 Dina said:

... and I'm pretty sure I can't get any lower than that - I hope.

Quit it sunshine. You say 'I'm improving with each match'.

[Patxy]

Marat Safin of Russia attends a practice session at the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne January 10, 2008.
REUTERS/Steve Holland (AUSTRALIA)



Marat Safin of Russia (L) talks with Andy Roddick's coach Jimmy Connors during a practice session at the Kooyong Classic tennis tournament in Melbourne January 10, 2008.
REUTERS/Steve Holland (AUSTRALIA)