Post by Annie on Jun 13, 2005 19:45:47 GMT 3
French "Tennis" magazine.
January 16th, 2001
translated by Violaine
Tennis Magazine : How do you feel at the beginning of this new year ?
Marat Safin : Good, very good actually (smile). I came to Australia with the only idea to start the year well. That's all. Despite all what happened to me at the end of the year, I fell fresh. I'm expecting some tough matches and I know it won't be easy to get back to it. I'm optimistic. That's how I am. (smile)
TM : Despite you elbow injury that you felt a few days ago ?
MS : It was not really an injury, it's a pain I already felt in the past, especially in Roland Garros in 1999. Back then, I had stopped during 4 or 5 days, and I didn't serve during this period. But here, it's impossible to take some rest or not to serve 100%. It's the Australian Open, the 1st Grand Slam, and I don't want to miss it. We'll see. If I break my elbow, I would have been wrong to play. I do what I can. Between 2 matches, I work with the physio, make ultra-sonics, and cross my fingers (smile).
TM : How did you spend your holiday after the Masters in Lisbon ?
MS : First, they were very short. I can't even say they were holidays because they were very short. I had to prepare 2001 to go to Australia and play the Hopman Cup in Perth. After Lisbon, I went in Austria during one week, in San Anton, to ski. Unfortunately, there were no snow when I got there. So I did the only thing I really wanted to do : sleep, a lot&ldots; I had fun with my friends who were with me. The last 2 days, it snowed, so I could learn to stand on skis. (smile)
TM : One week of holidays, obviously it is short after the long season and the big emotions you felt in 2000. Aren't you afraid of paying the price of this infernal season ?
MS : (apparently surprised) No, why ? Come on, I'm 20. I'm young, I recover fast. If I don't have energy now, I will never have some. It's better to stop now. A new season is starting, and I have to forget all what happened last year. It belongs to the past. So it's better to turn the page and start something else. Now, I want to concentrate on the present and future. My goal is to be in the top 5 at the end of the year and to win another Grand Slam. That's what I'm thinking of today.
TM : Let's get back to the end of the season and the Masters in Lisbon where Gustavo Kuerten became number 1 instead of you. Did you feel deep sadness ?
MS : Sadness ? I don't think it is the right word. Disappointment, yes, but not sadness. That's life. There was nothing I could do. Tennis is a business like the others. It's show business. At the end, there is a winner and a loser. I lost and the only thing I could say is congratulations Kuerten.
TM: If Andre Agassi had beaten Gustavo Kuerten in the final of the Masters, you would have been number 1. Did you watch the match on TV?
MS: I watched it in Valencia, in Spain. But I already knew the result. I knew that Kuerten was going to win.
TM How did you know?
MS: Because it was inevitable. I couldn't seize the opportunity, but Kuerten did it. It's my fault. Too bad for me, even more if I never get to be number 1 at the end of a season.
TM: So you didn't trust Agassi to beat him for you?
MS: No, because I never trust anyone. As he had beaten Pete Sampras in the semi-finals, I knew he would beat Agassi. I cant explain you, but that's the way I felt it. I was supposed to stay in Lisbon in case I would be number one, because I would been given a trophy on the court, but I left. I already knew the result.
TM: Did you watch the match until the end?
MS: Of course. I watched it from the beginning to the end. Not because I was hoping something, but because it was the final of the Masters, and I would have watched it even if I would not have been involved. Believe me: I was not praying in front of my TV so that something happens for me this day. I knew it. It was inevitable and that's the way it was. I had to accept the result.
TM: What did you lack at the end of the season to become number 1?
MS: A little bit of luck, that's all. He had a little bit more luck than me. During the 3rd set of the semi-final against Sampras, he managed to save 4 break balls that could have changed everything for me. If Pete had score a point, I would be number 1, I'm sure of that. In fact, I relied more on Pete that on Andre. The only regret I can have is that I was tired when I came to the Masters. My victory in Bercy (Paris) took me a lot of energy.
TM: But still, you were number 1 in the world, the youngest ever, during 2 weeks (&ldots;) Do you think that you were number 1 during these 2 weeks?
MS: I think nothing (smile). What do people will remember? That Kuerten was number 1 in 2000, that's all. I was number 2, that's all I will remember. I'm not satisfied with it believe me. I won't feel better telling me that I was number 1.
TM: Even if the holidays were short, did you take time to think of what you did in 2000?
MS: What I did was unexpected, above all if you remember how I was few months before. It's extraordinary. I won a Grand Slam, I was number 1 in the world, whereas I was nothing nine months before, it's not that bad (smile).
TM: Let's get back to the beginning of your trouble, during the Australian Open 2000, when you lost in the 1st round against Grant Stafford, and when you were fined for tanking. How did you feel back then?
MS: It was a good lesson for me, even if I think that the umpire exaggerated. I was not feeling good, I was lost. I was fighting against myself. Actually, I was still very young. It was like a kick in the backside, and maybe it helped me to move on. It was a
lesson of intelligence, that's all.
TM: The beginning of the 2000 season was a disaster, that's the least we can say. What do you put this bad start down to?
MS: I don't even know. One year after, I still don't know I had no motivation .I was 20, it's not normal. I was playing without knowing how to play and it was a real disaster.
TM: Where the rumors about early retirement true?
MS: It was serious. I didn't like tennis anymore. I told my manager that if I was not in the top 100 at the end of the year, I would stop. And I meant it. What's the point of losing your time and money?
TM: Back then, did you ask your mother, who was your coach at the beginning, for advice?
MS: (sharply) There were no reason for me to ask her anything. I'm responsible of what I'm doing. It matters little what people think, especially my mother.
TM: In Monte-Carlo, it seemed that you had conceded a more important defeat than all the others. Why?
MS: I had the feeling that it couldn't be worse and that I had to do something to stop it. So I decided to change my coach. I had the courage to take that decision because it was hard to take, but I did not regret it.
TM: Back then, did you feel sad about your game?
MS: Sadness, again!! (energetic). I'm not a woman: Sadness is for woman. I was irritated, but not sad. I realized that I was going in the wrong way and I managed to get back to the right one. I knew that I made the right choice because I won in Barcelona the week after.
TM: Rafael Mensua have been your coach since you came to Spain when you were 13. Wasn't it hard to tell him that it was over?
MS: It was not a nice moment, but we had to go through it. He was not surprised with my decision because everything was going wrong. I told you : tennis is a business. When things don't work, you have to say stop, even if you have to say it to people you like.
TM: Then you had 3 others coaches: Andrei Chesnokov, Tony Pickard, and Alexander Volkov. What did you learn from them?
MS: Chesnokov taught me to think and work better. He told me I had to fight, and above all to listen to him. It was like in school. I started to listen to him because I respected him, and I realized that what he said was true. To prove it, I won the tournament in Barcelona. He didn't change my technique, he just gave me good advice and my career started again.
TM: It was a surprise that, despite your good results with Chesnokov, you decided to stop working with him after Roland Garros. Why?
MS: He didn't want to travel. So it was impossible to go on with him. But I respected his decision. I understood it. He has a family and enough money so that he does not travel from one country to the other with me.
TM: After Chesnokov, there was Tony Pickard until Wimbledon&ldots;
MS: It lasted 2 weeks, but it was a great pleasure to work with such a coach. He taught me 2 or 3 important things to play on grass. He could not travel either, but we call each others sometimes. He watches some of my matches on TV, and we exchange information.
TM: During the US Open, you were with Alexander Volkov&ldots;
MS: With Volkov, there is nothing to learn. You just have to watch him. His tennis is from another planet! When he was in the circuit, he was not a player like the others. During the training, it was the same. You watch him and try to understand if you can. He does what he wants with the ball. And you just have to try to do the same (laugher). But he has his business in Russia, and we couldn't go on together. Like for Chesnokov, I understood. I understand he has other priorities than me.
TM: Why did you get back with Rafael Mensua and leave him again after the Masters in Lisbon?
MS: It was my decision, it didn't work. I wasn't respecting him as a coach. During the years, he became like a 2nd father for me, that is not what I needed As I said, in business, you don't have feelings. I thought that it was stupid to go on with something that was not good only because I was working with someone very close.
TM: Who is Marat Safin's ideal coach?
MS: But I'm not looking for a coach! Everybody talk to me about it because everybody think that when you are 20, you need a coach. I don't think so. I think I know what I need and what I have to do, even if I'm wrong. People are trying to give me a bad reputation. People think I'm wearing out coaches the one after the others. In my life, I only had 3 coaches: my mother, Rafael and Chesnokov. All the others were friends that wanted to work with me. I'm here in Australia with Andrei Merinov. He is here because he is my friend. It turns out that he plays good tennis and that he can hit the ball with me. I'm not asking for more.
TM: Do you still listen to your mother's advice?
MS: (seems disgusted) No, I left home too early. Far from my family during all these years, I grew up faster than the other people of my age. She can give me advice if she wants, but I don't listen to her. I know that I owe her a lot for the beginning, but now I have to take my own decisions, even if they are bad.
TM: Does she still live in Valencia not far from you?
MS: She lives in Valencia with my sister, but since 5 months, I've been living in Monaco. I still have a place to live in Valencia to see them sometimes.
TM: When do you think about your victory in the US Open, what are the images that you have in your mind?
MS: It was nice, but I have already turned the page. And it's not enough. It's only the beginning. There are a lot of other tournaments to win during the next 10 years maybe. That's past. Make way to the present and future.
TM: Did you watch your final against Pete Sampras?
MS: No, I don't like watching videos of my matches. And I know this final by heart. I could almost tell you what were the points the one after the others. (pointing his finger on his head). It's in here!
TM: What about your trophy? Where is it? In Monaco or Valencia?
MS: It's in my manager's office in Monaco. I didn't take it because it is too heavy. It's better this way.
TM: Bill Clinton called you after your victory in New York. What about Vladimir Putin?
MS: He sent me a telegram. He didn't have time to meet me. He has more important things to do. But I kept the paper to show it later to my children.
TM: You often say that Roland Garros is the tournament you absolutely want to win. Why?
MS: It is my goal this year, it will be my goal until I win this tournament. I love this place. I think it is wonderful. Everything is beautiful in Roland Garros. It's like a "big party". The public knows the game very well. They know what a good point is, and they are quiet when it is necessary. And I love Paris. It is a beautiful city with very good restaurants (smile). For me , Roland Garros is like Disneyland. And it's where my career started.
TM: It seemed that you were doing good last year. But you lost against Norman in quarter final. What happened?
MS: There were too much tennis for me the weeks before the tournament. I was exhausted. In quarter final, I didn't react the way I should, but I couldn't do anything. My legs were telling me that it was over. Against Norman, I was playing without knowing what to do. My brain exploded. This year, I promise, I won't play so much before Roland Garros.
TM: On the whole, you played a lot in 2000. Do you think it will be the same this year?
MS: The problem is that last year, I didn't know that I was going to play so many matches. Who could have told it? For sure, I couldn't. My goal was to be in the top 20, not to fight to be number 1. During the 3 first months, I only won one match, and suddenly, I couldn't stop winning. Excluding the Davis Cup, I played 30 tournaments. It's too much. In 2001, I will try to play less. Reduce quantity to increase quality. And because of all these tournaments, sometimes I felt less pleasure . I don't want this to happen again.
TM: Is tennis still a game for you?
MS: It was a game when I was 9 or 10. Now it's my job, but I like it. Thanks to my parents to have pushed me as they did when I was younger, otherwise, I would have had no future in this game. I've never liked my life so much than today, all this pleasure is thanks to tennis.
TM: Do you think you will win Wimbledon one day?
MS: Last year, I learned a lot thanks to Tony Pickard. I think that one day I will have a chance, but I need time. It's possible, I m' sure.
TM: Where is the Davis Cup in your priorities?
MS: Very high. Russia deserves to win the Davis Cup. But the draws are awful this year. First, we have to play in Slovakia. Then, if we win, we have to do to Sweden or Czech Republic. It couldn't be worse. To win the Davis Cup, we need luck. Look at Spain last year. They played all the matches in Spain on clay. But with Kafelnikov, we can win in 2001.
TM: What kind of relation do you have with Yevgeny Kafelnikov?
MS: Everything is fine. We both like casinos (laugher)
TM: Is it easy for you to walk in peace in the streets of Moscow?
MS: No problem! We're not in America! In the USA, people can become crazy, with Agassi for example. In Russia, it's more relax. You're a person just like the others.
TM: In the United States, you often complain about the question you are asked about Russia. Why?
MS: In the USA, they always exaggerate. They talk about Russia without knowing what really happens in the country. Russia is bad. What's so bad? They show people in the streets, who only have one leg. Why not showing New York and the Bronx? It's not better. That's America!
TM: How do you explain the good results of young Russian players?
MS: More and more courts are built in the country. People like tennis. Just see the success of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. There have already been a boom with Chesnokov and Volkov. With Kafelnikov and I, everything is going faster. The Americans are not the only ones to play tennis (laugher)
TM: Among the good players, there is your sister, Dinara, that you watched in Roland Garros last year where she played the junior tournament. Where is she up to?
MS: I'm surprised but also scared by her tennis. She can play very well. But I think she takes things too seriously. She is a little bit too professional She is only 15 and she should see it more as a game.
TM: Do you still give her advice?
MS: yes, but she doesn't listen to me (laugher)
TM: We know that you love cars. How many cars do you have?
MS: 3!
TM: No accident yet?
MS: No!! (burst of laugh). I'm really cautious (seeking for a piece of wood to touch)
January 16th, 2001
translated by Violaine
Tennis Magazine : How do you feel at the beginning of this new year ?
Marat Safin : Good, very good actually (smile). I came to Australia with the only idea to start the year well. That's all. Despite all what happened to me at the end of the year, I fell fresh. I'm expecting some tough matches and I know it won't be easy to get back to it. I'm optimistic. That's how I am. (smile)
TM : Despite you elbow injury that you felt a few days ago ?
MS : It was not really an injury, it's a pain I already felt in the past, especially in Roland Garros in 1999. Back then, I had stopped during 4 or 5 days, and I didn't serve during this period. But here, it's impossible to take some rest or not to serve 100%. It's the Australian Open, the 1st Grand Slam, and I don't want to miss it. We'll see. If I break my elbow, I would have been wrong to play. I do what I can. Between 2 matches, I work with the physio, make ultra-sonics, and cross my fingers (smile).
TM : How did you spend your holiday after the Masters in Lisbon ?
MS : First, they were very short. I can't even say they were holidays because they were very short. I had to prepare 2001 to go to Australia and play the Hopman Cup in Perth. After Lisbon, I went in Austria during one week, in San Anton, to ski. Unfortunately, there were no snow when I got there. So I did the only thing I really wanted to do : sleep, a lot&ldots; I had fun with my friends who were with me. The last 2 days, it snowed, so I could learn to stand on skis. (smile)
TM : One week of holidays, obviously it is short after the long season and the big emotions you felt in 2000. Aren't you afraid of paying the price of this infernal season ?
MS : (apparently surprised) No, why ? Come on, I'm 20. I'm young, I recover fast. If I don't have energy now, I will never have some. It's better to stop now. A new season is starting, and I have to forget all what happened last year. It belongs to the past. So it's better to turn the page and start something else. Now, I want to concentrate on the present and future. My goal is to be in the top 5 at the end of the year and to win another Grand Slam. That's what I'm thinking of today.
TM : Let's get back to the end of the season and the Masters in Lisbon where Gustavo Kuerten became number 1 instead of you. Did you feel deep sadness ?
MS : Sadness ? I don't think it is the right word. Disappointment, yes, but not sadness. That's life. There was nothing I could do. Tennis is a business like the others. It's show business. At the end, there is a winner and a loser. I lost and the only thing I could say is congratulations Kuerten.
TM: If Andre Agassi had beaten Gustavo Kuerten in the final of the Masters, you would have been number 1. Did you watch the match on TV?
MS: I watched it in Valencia, in Spain. But I already knew the result. I knew that Kuerten was going to win.
TM How did you know?
MS: Because it was inevitable. I couldn't seize the opportunity, but Kuerten did it. It's my fault. Too bad for me, even more if I never get to be number 1 at the end of a season.
TM: So you didn't trust Agassi to beat him for you?
MS: No, because I never trust anyone. As he had beaten Pete Sampras in the semi-finals, I knew he would beat Agassi. I cant explain you, but that's the way I felt it. I was supposed to stay in Lisbon in case I would be number one, because I would been given a trophy on the court, but I left. I already knew the result.
TM: Did you watch the match until the end?
MS: Of course. I watched it from the beginning to the end. Not because I was hoping something, but because it was the final of the Masters, and I would have watched it even if I would not have been involved. Believe me: I was not praying in front of my TV so that something happens for me this day. I knew it. It was inevitable and that's the way it was. I had to accept the result.
TM: What did you lack at the end of the season to become number 1?
MS: A little bit of luck, that's all. He had a little bit more luck than me. During the 3rd set of the semi-final against Sampras, he managed to save 4 break balls that could have changed everything for me. If Pete had score a point, I would be number 1, I'm sure of that. In fact, I relied more on Pete that on Andre. The only regret I can have is that I was tired when I came to the Masters. My victory in Bercy (Paris) took me a lot of energy.
TM: But still, you were number 1 in the world, the youngest ever, during 2 weeks (&ldots;) Do you think that you were number 1 during these 2 weeks?
MS: I think nothing (smile). What do people will remember? That Kuerten was number 1 in 2000, that's all. I was number 2, that's all I will remember. I'm not satisfied with it believe me. I won't feel better telling me that I was number 1.
TM: Even if the holidays were short, did you take time to think of what you did in 2000?
MS: What I did was unexpected, above all if you remember how I was few months before. It's extraordinary. I won a Grand Slam, I was number 1 in the world, whereas I was nothing nine months before, it's not that bad (smile).
TM: Let's get back to the beginning of your trouble, during the Australian Open 2000, when you lost in the 1st round against Grant Stafford, and when you were fined for tanking. How did you feel back then?
MS: It was a good lesson for me, even if I think that the umpire exaggerated. I was not feeling good, I was lost. I was fighting against myself. Actually, I was still very young. It was like a kick in the backside, and maybe it helped me to move on. It was a
lesson of intelligence, that's all.
TM: The beginning of the 2000 season was a disaster, that's the least we can say. What do you put this bad start down to?
MS: I don't even know. One year after, I still don't know I had no motivation .I was 20, it's not normal. I was playing without knowing how to play and it was a real disaster.
TM: Where the rumors about early retirement true?
MS: It was serious. I didn't like tennis anymore. I told my manager that if I was not in the top 100 at the end of the year, I would stop. And I meant it. What's the point of losing your time and money?
TM: Back then, did you ask your mother, who was your coach at the beginning, for advice?
MS: (sharply) There were no reason for me to ask her anything. I'm responsible of what I'm doing. It matters little what people think, especially my mother.
TM: In Monte-Carlo, it seemed that you had conceded a more important defeat than all the others. Why?
MS: I had the feeling that it couldn't be worse and that I had to do something to stop it. So I decided to change my coach. I had the courage to take that decision because it was hard to take, but I did not regret it.
TM: Back then, did you feel sad about your game?
MS: Sadness, again!! (energetic). I'm not a woman: Sadness is for woman. I was irritated, but not sad. I realized that I was going in the wrong way and I managed to get back to the right one. I knew that I made the right choice because I won in Barcelona the week after.
TM: Rafael Mensua have been your coach since you came to Spain when you were 13. Wasn't it hard to tell him that it was over?
MS: It was not a nice moment, but we had to go through it. He was not surprised with my decision because everything was going wrong. I told you : tennis is a business. When things don't work, you have to say stop, even if you have to say it to people you like.
TM: Then you had 3 others coaches: Andrei Chesnokov, Tony Pickard, and Alexander Volkov. What did you learn from them?
MS: Chesnokov taught me to think and work better. He told me I had to fight, and above all to listen to him. It was like in school. I started to listen to him because I respected him, and I realized that what he said was true. To prove it, I won the tournament in Barcelona. He didn't change my technique, he just gave me good advice and my career started again.
TM: It was a surprise that, despite your good results with Chesnokov, you decided to stop working with him after Roland Garros. Why?
MS: He didn't want to travel. So it was impossible to go on with him. But I respected his decision. I understood it. He has a family and enough money so that he does not travel from one country to the other with me.
TM: After Chesnokov, there was Tony Pickard until Wimbledon&ldots;
MS: It lasted 2 weeks, but it was a great pleasure to work with such a coach. He taught me 2 or 3 important things to play on grass. He could not travel either, but we call each others sometimes. He watches some of my matches on TV, and we exchange information.
TM: During the US Open, you were with Alexander Volkov&ldots;
MS: With Volkov, there is nothing to learn. You just have to watch him. His tennis is from another planet! When he was in the circuit, he was not a player like the others. During the training, it was the same. You watch him and try to understand if you can. He does what he wants with the ball. And you just have to try to do the same (laugher). But he has his business in Russia, and we couldn't go on together. Like for Chesnokov, I understood. I understand he has other priorities than me.
TM: Why did you get back with Rafael Mensua and leave him again after the Masters in Lisbon?
MS: It was my decision, it didn't work. I wasn't respecting him as a coach. During the years, he became like a 2nd father for me, that is not what I needed As I said, in business, you don't have feelings. I thought that it was stupid to go on with something that was not good only because I was working with someone very close.
TM: Who is Marat Safin's ideal coach?
MS: But I'm not looking for a coach! Everybody talk to me about it because everybody think that when you are 20, you need a coach. I don't think so. I think I know what I need and what I have to do, even if I'm wrong. People are trying to give me a bad reputation. People think I'm wearing out coaches the one after the others. In my life, I only had 3 coaches: my mother, Rafael and Chesnokov. All the others were friends that wanted to work with me. I'm here in Australia with Andrei Merinov. He is here because he is my friend. It turns out that he plays good tennis and that he can hit the ball with me. I'm not asking for more.
TM: Do you still listen to your mother's advice?
MS: (seems disgusted) No, I left home too early. Far from my family during all these years, I grew up faster than the other people of my age. She can give me advice if she wants, but I don't listen to her. I know that I owe her a lot for the beginning, but now I have to take my own decisions, even if they are bad.
TM: Does she still live in Valencia not far from you?
MS: She lives in Valencia with my sister, but since 5 months, I've been living in Monaco. I still have a place to live in Valencia to see them sometimes.
TM: When do you think about your victory in the US Open, what are the images that you have in your mind?
MS: It was nice, but I have already turned the page. And it's not enough. It's only the beginning. There are a lot of other tournaments to win during the next 10 years maybe. That's past. Make way to the present and future.
TM: Did you watch your final against Pete Sampras?
MS: No, I don't like watching videos of my matches. And I know this final by heart. I could almost tell you what were the points the one after the others. (pointing his finger on his head). It's in here!
TM: What about your trophy? Where is it? In Monaco or Valencia?
MS: It's in my manager's office in Monaco. I didn't take it because it is too heavy. It's better this way.
TM: Bill Clinton called you after your victory in New York. What about Vladimir Putin?
MS: He sent me a telegram. He didn't have time to meet me. He has more important things to do. But I kept the paper to show it later to my children.
TM: You often say that Roland Garros is the tournament you absolutely want to win. Why?
MS: It is my goal this year, it will be my goal until I win this tournament. I love this place. I think it is wonderful. Everything is beautiful in Roland Garros. It's like a "big party". The public knows the game very well. They know what a good point is, and they are quiet when it is necessary. And I love Paris. It is a beautiful city with very good restaurants (smile). For me , Roland Garros is like Disneyland. And it's where my career started.
TM: It seemed that you were doing good last year. But you lost against Norman in quarter final. What happened?
MS: There were too much tennis for me the weeks before the tournament. I was exhausted. In quarter final, I didn't react the way I should, but I couldn't do anything. My legs were telling me that it was over. Against Norman, I was playing without knowing what to do. My brain exploded. This year, I promise, I won't play so much before Roland Garros.
TM: On the whole, you played a lot in 2000. Do you think it will be the same this year?
MS: The problem is that last year, I didn't know that I was going to play so many matches. Who could have told it? For sure, I couldn't. My goal was to be in the top 20, not to fight to be number 1. During the 3 first months, I only won one match, and suddenly, I couldn't stop winning. Excluding the Davis Cup, I played 30 tournaments. It's too much. In 2001, I will try to play less. Reduce quantity to increase quality. And because of all these tournaments, sometimes I felt less pleasure . I don't want this to happen again.
TM: Is tennis still a game for you?
MS: It was a game when I was 9 or 10. Now it's my job, but I like it. Thanks to my parents to have pushed me as they did when I was younger, otherwise, I would have had no future in this game. I've never liked my life so much than today, all this pleasure is thanks to tennis.
TM: Do you think you will win Wimbledon one day?
MS: Last year, I learned a lot thanks to Tony Pickard. I think that one day I will have a chance, but I need time. It's possible, I m' sure.
TM: Where is the Davis Cup in your priorities?
MS: Very high. Russia deserves to win the Davis Cup. But the draws are awful this year. First, we have to play in Slovakia. Then, if we win, we have to do to Sweden or Czech Republic. It couldn't be worse. To win the Davis Cup, we need luck. Look at Spain last year. They played all the matches in Spain on clay. But with Kafelnikov, we can win in 2001.
TM: What kind of relation do you have with Yevgeny Kafelnikov?
MS: Everything is fine. We both like casinos (laugher)
TM: Is it easy for you to walk in peace in the streets of Moscow?
MS: No problem! We're not in America! In the USA, people can become crazy, with Agassi for example. In Russia, it's more relax. You're a person just like the others.
TM: In the United States, you often complain about the question you are asked about Russia. Why?
MS: In the USA, they always exaggerate. They talk about Russia without knowing what really happens in the country. Russia is bad. What's so bad? They show people in the streets, who only have one leg. Why not showing New York and the Bronx? It's not better. That's America!
TM: How do you explain the good results of young Russian players?
MS: More and more courts are built in the country. People like tennis. Just see the success of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. There have already been a boom with Chesnokov and Volkov. With Kafelnikov and I, everything is going faster. The Americans are not the only ones to play tennis (laugher)
TM: Among the good players, there is your sister, Dinara, that you watched in Roland Garros last year where she played the junior tournament. Where is she up to?
MS: I'm surprised but also scared by her tennis. She can play very well. But I think she takes things too seriously. She is a little bit too professional She is only 15 and she should see it more as a game.
TM: Do you still give her advice?
MS: yes, but she doesn't listen to me (laugher)
TM: We know that you love cars. How many cars do you have?
MS: 3!
TM: No accident yet?
MS: No!! (burst of laugh). I'm really cautious (seeking for a piece of wood to touch)
