Post by Annie on Jun 13, 2005 19:52:48 GMT 3
"Simple" Interview for Tennis + Magazine (Russia)
Marat Safin: " Understand the simple things!.. "
20th November 2002
PART ONE
We started talking about Marat at the end of September. Were the newspaper headings after the semifinal match of Russian against Argentina in the Davis Cup draw really necessary? "Sports - express train": "To swing Marat! ", "Commrades !": " Marat Safin has missed the training in Paris ", " the Soviet sports ": " the Window to Paris ".
Safin's contribution to the victory of Russia's Davis Cup team has been in tens of newspapers. It wasn't surprising that the writing fraternity showed such unison, even though on the eve of the final, many doubted that Marat was ready for the matches: in their opinion, Marat had should have returned earlier to Moscow after Tashkent. Marat had another point of view. In Tashkent, he swept aside comments about him trying to lose so he can return home early to Moscow. Safin explained: "Tennis is my job and I'm going to be 100% focused in each game. I always am. Besides, even if you lose, you still had to train, but it is better to get match experience. I don't see the point in wasting opportunities&ldots;.."
The conversation represented Marat's own understanding of tennis. Safin answered in detail, with interest, and perhaps even with passion. In the conversation, I took on the role of a student, and only occasionally interrupted, because what Marat was saying seemed to me (and I hope for those reading this!) just as interesting for the beginner, the average player and the ordinary fan, who never steps onto a court.
And the conversation started in an unexpected way. I said to Marat that 'Tennis +' had done an interview comparing well known tennis players, one of which compared Andre Agassi with Yevegeny Kafelnikov, saying although they are different as people, their games have similarities, to which Marat literally exploded:
"Yes, it's possible to compare them! It's frivolous, unprofessional&ldots;.."
And after that explosion, Marat began a monologue. Because my dictophone was still in my briefcase, I had to ask Marat to start all over again.
"But that's impossible! I've spoken for fifteen minutes without stopping&ldots;.. I can't remember everything I've said&ldots;"
But I persuaded him to try.
"Anyway, it is impossible to compare Andre and Yevegeny! They have nothing in common even if they have a superficial similarity in their games. First of all, they are coming from two different cultures: America and Russia, yes? Different tennis traditions. That's the second thing. Practically everyone has put their hopes for the future of American tennis in Agassi. They've given him a big contract with Nike, it was advertised everywhere, and the TV has gone crazy promoting him as well. He was constantly on all the television channels. Agassi is happy to be a superstar. He has been used to this kind of attention since he was a child. Kafelnikov is not the same: he isn't trying to climb onto our TV screens, he doesn't like giving interviews, he prefers to hide in the shadows."
"For Agassi they pulled out all the stops, huge amounts of money were put into it by a powerful corporate machine. Any opportunities to make him a star were taken. Agassi got into Nick Bolleteri's academy. I went there too and saw the conditions guys train in. You can't imagine the amount of balls and general equipment they had, how many simulators were available, so many coaches you could be rocked to sleep by them. If you need to train in such privileged conditions, with such top quality equipment and so many coaches and unlimited opportunities to become a star, then it means you have no natural talent. Any skilled person can become a star just by doing their best."
"However, we also need to take into account the positive side of Agassi's tennis. Andre sees the ball well. He sees it a second faster than most other players, thinks quickly what to do with it and therefore he has a faster approach. He has great footwork, fast legs and excellent concentration, but&ldots;. to be more accurate he's like a robot: look at the way he walks, his habits, the way he talks, he smiles because he has to. It's unclear as to whether his attitude is genuine or not."
You think he isn't interested in communicating? [apologies for the clumsy translation of this question]
"It's difficult to tell. I could be mistaken. I've never spoken to him. But he's created for himself this image, right? 'The Image' and the tennis player are not always the same thing, you understand. Remember his clothes suddenly became ultra modern, like he was paying more attention to himself. He always has to appear different on court, like he's emphasizing his originality. Nike has created unusual outfits for him, I've even been told they are made in such a way to alter his physique. He began to wear these sunglasses, bright colours, short tops, an earring, bandanas, caps, long hair. He's created for himself a special image, and an image of a tennis player which is instantly recognizable to the spectator. Watch him as he walks on court, expecting his opponent's submission&ldots;.. Five, six small steps forward, the same amount back. All in a strict, straight line. Look as he corrects his shirt&ldots;. everything he does is thought through&ldots;. Like an actor? Or a robot? I don't know. But somehow, it's all unnatural. Like it's been staged. [?] However, I will say it again - Agassi is a good player."
"For Zhenya, it's a different situation. He comes from another tennis childhood. From another country. Remember, back then, our tennis balls were white, when St Petersburg was still called Leningrad. Then they began to introduce colour&ldots;. I don't know how this helped&ldots;. because did we have courts? Tennis academies? Not only was Zhenya's native Sochi lacking them, the whole country was lacking them. So the main problem was money? Tournaments? It's not all down to that; you could play where you wanted, but only at a certain level. Therefore, if it hadn't been for intervention, he would be working in Sochi right now, I don't know as what, but he wouldn't be as a star and as the best tennis player in Russia. For him, it was much more difficult than it was for Agassi. Overcoming difficulties, getting balls, rackets, good contacts, and learning the skills to solve problems were all things Zhenya had to experience. So how is it possible to achieve anything under these crushing circumstances? But despite this, Zhenya has still reached the same heights. He's done very well. He has achieved so much because he's been through so much - he's the first person from Russia to win a Grand Slam. Zhenya was won 25 tournaments in singles (now 26 - Editor) and 25 tournaments in the doubles. He has indisputable talent. He is a champion! People could say, even if Zhenya won 5 Grand Slams, that Russia could do better. I don't know&ldots;probably&ldots; Probably, we could reach even greater heights if we had the same childhoods as our opponents, the same as Agassi and a big corporate machine poured money into its stars and created clever advertising."
In a way, you've experienced both things. Which do you think is better - life in our country, or life in a different country?
"Both have their good points. But certainly, I prefer the first option. Life in Russia&ldots; we are independent people, everyone has their own point of view. Everyone tries to live correctly, but not as he would like to live. Everyone wants what is best for them. Everyone takes what is best for himself, not what is best for others."
It seems to me you have contradicted what you said in our conversation last year. Then you said that you try to give pleasure not only to yourself, but to the spectators, because tennis is not just about victories, titles and prize money, but also a form of show business involving the public, the stadium audience and the TV cameras.
"Yes, that's right, but I'm not being untrue to myself. What did I also say to you last year? That we don't live in a vacuum&ldots; I meant that from the moment we get on court, we try to give the spectators some entertainment. You see, they have come to this match, paid money, and as you know, at Wimbledon or Roland Garros, they've paid a considerable amount. Tennis is a sports show, yes? But it's a special kind of show. There are no props or make up. There is no plot prepared by directors. We walk on that court knowing we are facing a fight. Sometimes we win, but more often we lose, like I did at the Kremlin Cup. I was a favourite at the beginning of the match, however my opponent won. And then the spectator started to condemn me. Sometimes they do cat-calls, thinking you don't want to play at full force. But that's nonsense, just their misunderstanding of the simplest things. Do they really think that even the weakest of tennis players want to lose, and decide to do so beforehand?!?"
Tell me, is it true that you have sometimes tanked a match?
"I've heard about that&ldots;. But you have to understand it's complete rubbish! And now I have to explain the obvious. Tennis- it's a very complex game. Nobody is guaranteed victory. Not even to Sampras in his best days. Today, everyone can play well. Professional tennis is hard, though very interesting work. You can win one tournament, a second, a tenth, but it doesn't mean that you can now train for only an hour before a match and then go for a night on the town. You still have to get up at 7-8am and train for 2 hours, then do some gym workouts, play a match, and even after that, you have to attend the press conference, and answer all those questions. It's not always easy, or interesting. But it seems easy to anyone not involved."
Let's talk about press conferences. About uninteresting questions and the journalists who set them&ldots;. Marat, are you sometimes mistaken in your answers?
"Certainly, sometimes I am. Who isn't?"
Interview by Oleg Spassky
Translated by Ruth
zbookpro.net/book.cgi?phantom-interviews-45
[original source]
IF YOU WISH TO POST THESE INTERVIEWS ELSE WHERE PLEASE INCLUDE CREDIT FOR ALL TRANSLATORS MENTIONED AND THE GUYFROMRUSSIA URL FOR THE INTERVIEW THANK YOU!!
Marat Safin: " Understand the simple things!.. "
20th November 2002
PART ONE
We started talking about Marat at the end of September. Were the newspaper headings after the semifinal match of Russian against Argentina in the Davis Cup draw really necessary? "Sports - express train": "To swing Marat! ", "Commrades !": " Marat Safin has missed the training in Paris ", " the Soviet sports ": " the Window to Paris ".
Safin's contribution to the victory of Russia's Davis Cup team has been in tens of newspapers. It wasn't surprising that the writing fraternity showed such unison, even though on the eve of the final, many doubted that Marat was ready for the matches: in their opinion, Marat had should have returned earlier to Moscow after Tashkent. Marat had another point of view. In Tashkent, he swept aside comments about him trying to lose so he can return home early to Moscow. Safin explained: "Tennis is my job and I'm going to be 100% focused in each game. I always am. Besides, even if you lose, you still had to train, but it is better to get match experience. I don't see the point in wasting opportunities&ldots;.."
The conversation represented Marat's own understanding of tennis. Safin answered in detail, with interest, and perhaps even with passion. In the conversation, I took on the role of a student, and only occasionally interrupted, because what Marat was saying seemed to me (and I hope for those reading this!) just as interesting for the beginner, the average player and the ordinary fan, who never steps onto a court.
And the conversation started in an unexpected way. I said to Marat that 'Tennis +' had done an interview comparing well known tennis players, one of which compared Andre Agassi with Yevegeny Kafelnikov, saying although they are different as people, their games have similarities, to which Marat literally exploded:
"Yes, it's possible to compare them! It's frivolous, unprofessional&ldots;.."
And after that explosion, Marat began a monologue. Because my dictophone was still in my briefcase, I had to ask Marat to start all over again.
"But that's impossible! I've spoken for fifteen minutes without stopping&ldots;.. I can't remember everything I've said&ldots;"
But I persuaded him to try.
"Anyway, it is impossible to compare Andre and Yevegeny! They have nothing in common even if they have a superficial similarity in their games. First of all, they are coming from two different cultures: America and Russia, yes? Different tennis traditions. That's the second thing. Practically everyone has put their hopes for the future of American tennis in Agassi. They've given him a big contract with Nike, it was advertised everywhere, and the TV has gone crazy promoting him as well. He was constantly on all the television channels. Agassi is happy to be a superstar. He has been used to this kind of attention since he was a child. Kafelnikov is not the same: he isn't trying to climb onto our TV screens, he doesn't like giving interviews, he prefers to hide in the shadows."
"For Agassi they pulled out all the stops, huge amounts of money were put into it by a powerful corporate machine. Any opportunities to make him a star were taken. Agassi got into Nick Bolleteri's academy. I went there too and saw the conditions guys train in. You can't imagine the amount of balls and general equipment they had, how many simulators were available, so many coaches you could be rocked to sleep by them. If you need to train in such privileged conditions, with such top quality equipment and so many coaches and unlimited opportunities to become a star, then it means you have no natural talent. Any skilled person can become a star just by doing their best."
"However, we also need to take into account the positive side of Agassi's tennis. Andre sees the ball well. He sees it a second faster than most other players, thinks quickly what to do with it and therefore he has a faster approach. He has great footwork, fast legs and excellent concentration, but&ldots;. to be more accurate he's like a robot: look at the way he walks, his habits, the way he talks, he smiles because he has to. It's unclear as to whether his attitude is genuine or not."
You think he isn't interested in communicating? [apologies for the clumsy translation of this question]
"It's difficult to tell. I could be mistaken. I've never spoken to him. But he's created for himself this image, right? 'The Image' and the tennis player are not always the same thing, you understand. Remember his clothes suddenly became ultra modern, like he was paying more attention to himself. He always has to appear different on court, like he's emphasizing his originality. Nike has created unusual outfits for him, I've even been told they are made in such a way to alter his physique. He began to wear these sunglasses, bright colours, short tops, an earring, bandanas, caps, long hair. He's created for himself a special image, and an image of a tennis player which is instantly recognizable to the spectator. Watch him as he walks on court, expecting his opponent's submission&ldots;.. Five, six small steps forward, the same amount back. All in a strict, straight line. Look as he corrects his shirt&ldots;. everything he does is thought through&ldots;. Like an actor? Or a robot? I don't know. But somehow, it's all unnatural. Like it's been staged. [?] However, I will say it again - Agassi is a good player."
"For Zhenya, it's a different situation. He comes from another tennis childhood. From another country. Remember, back then, our tennis balls were white, when St Petersburg was still called Leningrad. Then they began to introduce colour&ldots;. I don't know how this helped&ldots;. because did we have courts? Tennis academies? Not only was Zhenya's native Sochi lacking them, the whole country was lacking them. So the main problem was money? Tournaments? It's not all down to that; you could play where you wanted, but only at a certain level. Therefore, if it hadn't been for intervention, he would be working in Sochi right now, I don't know as what, but he wouldn't be as a star and as the best tennis player in Russia. For him, it was much more difficult than it was for Agassi. Overcoming difficulties, getting balls, rackets, good contacts, and learning the skills to solve problems were all things Zhenya had to experience. So how is it possible to achieve anything under these crushing circumstances? But despite this, Zhenya has still reached the same heights. He's done very well. He has achieved so much because he's been through so much - he's the first person from Russia to win a Grand Slam. Zhenya was won 25 tournaments in singles (now 26 - Editor) and 25 tournaments in the doubles. He has indisputable talent. He is a champion! People could say, even if Zhenya won 5 Grand Slams, that Russia could do better. I don't know&ldots;probably&ldots; Probably, we could reach even greater heights if we had the same childhoods as our opponents, the same as Agassi and a big corporate machine poured money into its stars and created clever advertising."
In a way, you've experienced both things. Which do you think is better - life in our country, or life in a different country?
"Both have their good points. But certainly, I prefer the first option. Life in Russia&ldots; we are independent people, everyone has their own point of view. Everyone tries to live correctly, but not as he would like to live. Everyone wants what is best for them. Everyone takes what is best for himself, not what is best for others."
It seems to me you have contradicted what you said in our conversation last year. Then you said that you try to give pleasure not only to yourself, but to the spectators, because tennis is not just about victories, titles and prize money, but also a form of show business involving the public, the stadium audience and the TV cameras.
"Yes, that's right, but I'm not being untrue to myself. What did I also say to you last year? That we don't live in a vacuum&ldots; I meant that from the moment we get on court, we try to give the spectators some entertainment. You see, they have come to this match, paid money, and as you know, at Wimbledon or Roland Garros, they've paid a considerable amount. Tennis is a sports show, yes? But it's a special kind of show. There are no props or make up. There is no plot prepared by directors. We walk on that court knowing we are facing a fight. Sometimes we win, but more often we lose, like I did at the Kremlin Cup. I was a favourite at the beginning of the match, however my opponent won. And then the spectator started to condemn me. Sometimes they do cat-calls, thinking you don't want to play at full force. But that's nonsense, just their misunderstanding of the simplest things. Do they really think that even the weakest of tennis players want to lose, and decide to do so beforehand?!?"
Tell me, is it true that you have sometimes tanked a match?
"I've heard about that&ldots;. But you have to understand it's complete rubbish! And now I have to explain the obvious. Tennis- it's a very complex game. Nobody is guaranteed victory. Not even to Sampras in his best days. Today, everyone can play well. Professional tennis is hard, though very interesting work. You can win one tournament, a second, a tenth, but it doesn't mean that you can now train for only an hour before a match and then go for a night on the town. You still have to get up at 7-8am and train for 2 hours, then do some gym workouts, play a match, and even after that, you have to attend the press conference, and answer all those questions. It's not always easy, or interesting. But it seems easy to anyone not involved."
Let's talk about press conferences. About uninteresting questions and the journalists who set them&ldots;. Marat, are you sometimes mistaken in your answers?
"Certainly, sometimes I am. Who isn't?"
Interview by Oleg Spassky
Translated by Ruth
zbookpro.net/book.cgi?phantom-interviews-45
[original source]
IF YOU WISH TO POST THESE INTERVIEWS ELSE WHERE PLEASE INCLUDE CREDIT FOR ALL TRANSLATORS MENTIONED AND THE GUYFROMRUSSIA URL FOR THE INTERVIEW THANK YOU!!
