Post by Annie on Jun 11, 2005 19:00:07 GMT 3
Adidas Article
Originally from www.adidas.ru
Adidas Article
Taken from www.adidas.com
Q. Marat, how do you feel at the end of this season, having had so many memorable successes?
M. The year has been very successful. I began it ranked 210 in the world and now I'm in 48th place. I haven't made it through some tournaments without a little bit of luck, but I wanted to achieve high results, and I worked hard.
Q. 48 is the goal for this year?
M. Not at the moment. If after Roland Garros I don't go out in the first round of the next six tournaments, and I make some good results, then I have a good chance to be in the top 20.
Q. Five months ago we spoke to you at home after returning from the French Open, and you looked a little confused with all the unexpected glory. Is it a difficult idea to get used to after 18 years, of losing your privacy?
M. I understand that interviews and advertising are a part of my work. After Roland Garros, my life suddenly changed and I was definitely not ready for this. Already, I've tried to react to things in a quieter way.
Q. The US Open started as a tournament no less important to you as Roland Garros. There you managed to prove, after a series of failures, that your rise at Paris was not casual. Having beaten veterans Gustaffason and Muster, you lost in the fourth round to Sampras. Did you ever have a real chance to beat the World No 1 on that day?
M. There were no real chances to beat Sampras. He played at a very high level. I'm not yet on equal terms to compete with the best tennis player in the world and make an impact. There is little possibility of beating Sampras. If he's on normal form, he makes it practically impossible to beat him. Sampras is beaten sometimes, certainly, but not frequently.
Q. Who in your opinion - Sampras, Rios or Rafter - is more likely to get the No1 ranking at the end of the year?
M. I think Sampras will. He plays better tennis than any of the other players. On court Sampras, as a rule, quietly kills his opponents confidence.
Q. Which tennis celebrities are you good friends with?
M. I like being with Zhenya Kafelnikov more than any of the others. As a person he is better, more sociable. It's simple happiness to train with him. Zhenya helps me so much. It's a pity because of our lives in tennis, we only get to see each other during tournaments.
Q. Having the most powerful serve, Richard Krijchek recently said that probably in a few years it will be difficult for him to compete with this new generation who hit the ball even harder. Do you still respect the big name players?
M. I doubt they are concerned with a 48th ranked player. For Gustaffason or Muster, it's probably insulting to lose to someone 12 years younger. But times are changing, speed is more important, tennis is becoming faster. For the last 10 years, tennis has seen a healthy change. There are fewer long matches, unlike like earlier, when players hit the ball and just waited for his opponent to make a mistake.
Q. Do you like American Hard courts?
M. I haven't had any problems. I like the surface, unlike grass. I played on it for the first time in my life last year at Wimbledon and lost in the first round to Andrei Medvedev. Still, I like it in London with all the long breaks because of rain delays.
Q. Will you spend next year somehow preparing specially for grass?
M. Yes, I plan to go to two grass tournaments: in London and Holland. But in general, I'm hesitant about Wimbledon. Grass is not my surface.
Q. What is your most memorable match this year?
M. Probably against Agassi at Roland Garros.
Q. What would you like to forget?
M. That I lost in the first round of the San Marino tournament to the Italian Santopadre 6-2 6-0. It was a total failure, I couldn't make anything happen.
Q. And a meeting at Atlanta with Jim Courier that became a deciding match in the Davis Cup?
M. On the contrary, that match gave me confidence. I found that I am capable of playing well against top 5 players, and I even began to count myself as a favourite sometimes. After Atlanta, I reached the final of a Challenger in Naples, and passed the second round at Barcelona.
Q. What result would you like at the Kremlin Cup?
M. To still be at No 48 by the end of the tournament.
Translated by Ruth
members.nbci.com/_XMCM/msafin/adidas.html
[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!!
Originally from www.adidas.ru
Adidas Article
Taken from www.adidas.com
Q. Marat, how do you feel at the end of this season, having had so many memorable successes?
M. The year has been very successful. I began it ranked 210 in the world and now I'm in 48th place. I haven't made it through some tournaments without a little bit of luck, but I wanted to achieve high results, and I worked hard.
Q. 48 is the goal for this year?
M. Not at the moment. If after Roland Garros I don't go out in the first round of the next six tournaments, and I make some good results, then I have a good chance to be in the top 20.
Q. Five months ago we spoke to you at home after returning from the French Open, and you looked a little confused with all the unexpected glory. Is it a difficult idea to get used to after 18 years, of losing your privacy?
M. I understand that interviews and advertising are a part of my work. After Roland Garros, my life suddenly changed and I was definitely not ready for this. Already, I've tried to react to things in a quieter way.
Q. The US Open started as a tournament no less important to you as Roland Garros. There you managed to prove, after a series of failures, that your rise at Paris was not casual. Having beaten veterans Gustaffason and Muster, you lost in the fourth round to Sampras. Did you ever have a real chance to beat the World No 1 on that day?
M. There were no real chances to beat Sampras. He played at a very high level. I'm not yet on equal terms to compete with the best tennis player in the world and make an impact. There is little possibility of beating Sampras. If he's on normal form, he makes it practically impossible to beat him. Sampras is beaten sometimes, certainly, but not frequently.
Q. Who in your opinion - Sampras, Rios or Rafter - is more likely to get the No1 ranking at the end of the year?
M. I think Sampras will. He plays better tennis than any of the other players. On court Sampras, as a rule, quietly kills his opponents confidence.
Q. Which tennis celebrities are you good friends with?
M. I like being with Zhenya Kafelnikov more than any of the others. As a person he is better, more sociable. It's simple happiness to train with him. Zhenya helps me so much. It's a pity because of our lives in tennis, we only get to see each other during tournaments.
Q. Having the most powerful serve, Richard Krijchek recently said that probably in a few years it will be difficult for him to compete with this new generation who hit the ball even harder. Do you still respect the big name players?
M. I doubt they are concerned with a 48th ranked player. For Gustaffason or Muster, it's probably insulting to lose to someone 12 years younger. But times are changing, speed is more important, tennis is becoming faster. For the last 10 years, tennis has seen a healthy change. There are fewer long matches, unlike like earlier, when players hit the ball and just waited for his opponent to make a mistake.
Q. Do you like American Hard courts?
M. I haven't had any problems. I like the surface, unlike grass. I played on it for the first time in my life last year at Wimbledon and lost in the first round to Andrei Medvedev. Still, I like it in London with all the long breaks because of rain delays.
Q. Will you spend next year somehow preparing specially for grass?
M. Yes, I plan to go to two grass tournaments: in London and Holland. But in general, I'm hesitant about Wimbledon. Grass is not my surface.
Q. What is your most memorable match this year?
M. Probably against Agassi at Roland Garros.
Q. What would you like to forget?
M. That I lost in the first round of the San Marino tournament to the Italian Santopadre 6-2 6-0. It was a total failure, I couldn't make anything happen.
Q. And a meeting at Atlanta with Jim Courier that became a deciding match in the Davis Cup?
M. On the contrary, that match gave me confidence. I found that I am capable of playing well against top 5 players, and I even began to count myself as a favourite sometimes. After Atlanta, I reached the final of a Challenger in Naples, and passed the second round at Barcelona.
Q. What result would you like at the Kremlin Cup?
M. To still be at No 48 by the end of the tournament.
Translated by Ruth
members.nbci.com/_XMCM/msafin/adidas.html
[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!!
