Post by Annie on Jun 11, 2005 19:03:14 GMT 3
UK Tennis Magazine ACE
Issue 50 December 2000
How did you first get into tennis?
Through my parents. My mother was a tennis player and now she is my sisters coach. She used to work at Spartak Moscow football club and had a group of young tennis players with her. I started to like tennis and here I am
What's the proudest moment of your life?
Definitely when I won the US Open.
What's the worst moment of your life?
Everytime I have to play Fabrice Santoro. [as of October 22, Safin was 0-5 in matches against the frenchman]
What do you love most about tennis?
The competitiveness. I love to fight with someone else for the same goal, and then still be friends afterwards. Isn't this a good lesson for life?
Do you have any bad habits?
I do not like to lose. I can break some rackets.
How did you end up moving to Spain, where you now live?
My parents found me a sponsor - a gentleman that helped me alot by sending me to Spain, even though I did not want to go in principle. I am still asking myself 'why Spain?', but I think I was very lucky to go there since, thanks to this man, I met alot of people that helped me. Thanks to them I am now playing tennis. They taught me many things about life outside tennis, how to live on my own, which is tough at the beginning, but you get used to it.
I will always thank those people for the rest of my life. For me to have been a good tennis player in Russia, before, would have been impossible. Everything has changed now, because now in Russia they have balls, they have rackets, they have people to practise with. Before it was difficult because of the situation in the country. It was difficult to get balls and rackets. Everybody in tennis left the country so I couldn't practise with anybody. So I had to leave too.
Do you come from a very sporting family?
My mother Rausa played the Roland Garros and Wimbledon junior events. She was my first tennis coach, but does not give me any tennis advice any more. She is now giving this to my sister. My father Mikhail was Moscow's 100 meters champion.
What other sports do you like?
I love football, but I am very bad at playing it. I guess I am too tall and do not move well. I also like ice-hockey very much. When I was living in Russia I was not that bad at it. There was an ice hockey stadium next to my home, so I had the chance to play often. I follow ice hockey at the Olympics and the World Championships.
Favourite books and music?
Music: Mike Oldfield and a German band called 'Scooter'. Books: Novels by James Hadley Chase. It's cheap literature, but good entertainment and easy to read. I also read a lot in Russian.
What hobbies do you have?
I am open to new adventures and would like to try jet skiing, wind-surfing and 4x4 bikes. I had a stamp collection when I was younger. It is still at my parents home in Moscow.
What would your ideal day be?
Sleep almost all day. Then I'd stay at home in Moscow with no-one around.
Of the two top Russian female players, Kournikova and Dementieva, who do you think will prove to be the better one?
Anna is still more talented than Elena, but Elena has worked alot more to arrive at this level. Anna has a good manager, but is not working so hard to become a top player.
Specify that..... or Anna will kill me next time she sees me!
Tell ACE readers something they don't know about you.
I'm allergic to wine.
Issue 50 December 2000
How did you first get into tennis?
Through my parents. My mother was a tennis player and now she is my sisters coach. She used to work at Spartak Moscow football club and had a group of young tennis players with her. I started to like tennis and here I am
What's the proudest moment of your life?
Definitely when I won the US Open.
What's the worst moment of your life?
Everytime I have to play Fabrice Santoro. [as of October 22, Safin was 0-5 in matches against the frenchman]
What do you love most about tennis?
The competitiveness. I love to fight with someone else for the same goal, and then still be friends afterwards. Isn't this a good lesson for life?
Do you have any bad habits?
I do not like to lose. I can break some rackets.
How did you end up moving to Spain, where you now live?
My parents found me a sponsor - a gentleman that helped me alot by sending me to Spain, even though I did not want to go in principle. I am still asking myself 'why Spain?', but I think I was very lucky to go there since, thanks to this man, I met alot of people that helped me. Thanks to them I am now playing tennis. They taught me many things about life outside tennis, how to live on my own, which is tough at the beginning, but you get used to it.
I will always thank those people for the rest of my life. For me to have been a good tennis player in Russia, before, would have been impossible. Everything has changed now, because now in Russia they have balls, they have rackets, they have people to practise with. Before it was difficult because of the situation in the country. It was difficult to get balls and rackets. Everybody in tennis left the country so I couldn't practise with anybody. So I had to leave too.
Do you come from a very sporting family?
My mother Rausa played the Roland Garros and Wimbledon junior events. She was my first tennis coach, but does not give me any tennis advice any more. She is now giving this to my sister. My father Mikhail was Moscow's 100 meters champion.
What other sports do you like?
I love football, but I am very bad at playing it. I guess I am too tall and do not move well. I also like ice-hockey very much. When I was living in Russia I was not that bad at it. There was an ice hockey stadium next to my home, so I had the chance to play often. I follow ice hockey at the Olympics and the World Championships.
Favourite books and music?
Music: Mike Oldfield and a German band called 'Scooter'. Books: Novels by James Hadley Chase. It's cheap literature, but good entertainment and easy to read. I also read a lot in Russian.
What hobbies do you have?
I am open to new adventures and would like to try jet skiing, wind-surfing and 4x4 bikes. I had a stamp collection when I was younger. It is still at my parents home in Moscow.
What would your ideal day be?
Sleep almost all day. Then I'd stay at home in Moscow with no-one around.
Of the two top Russian female players, Kournikova and Dementieva, who do you think will prove to be the better one?
Anna is still more talented than Elena, but Elena has worked alot more to arrive at this level. Anna has a good manager, but is not working so hard to become a top player.
Specify that..... or Anna will kill me next time she sees me!
Tell ACE readers something they don't know about you.
I'm allergic to wine.
