Post by Annie on Jun 11, 2005 18:54:44 GMT 3
Tennis + (part one)
No. 7/98
Part1 June 1998
An interview with Marat & his Parents after returning from Roland Garros 1998
Q. In the last couple of days you've given plenty of interviews. The interest of the journalists is understandable. But you probably know by now that talking to the press is part of your job?
M. yes. I've been told this by the people from the ITF (Intenational Tennis Federation)
Q. These interviews are in your interest. When you give your side of a match, a player, or yourself, there is less chance that people will lie about you.
Misha. Unfortunately, that's already happened, when they wrote something in an interview that Marat never said.
M. I don't really care. Let them write what they like.
Q. That's a risky attitude.... Marat, do you realise that journalists often misunderstand the facts, not because they want to offend you or Kafelnikov. Sometimes a reporter hears something on the grapevine, and they don't get chance to verify that information because the player involved is not accessible. That's when exaggerations and misunderstandings take place. But let's get down to business.... you've already given lots of interviews; what haven't you been asked about yet?
M. I guess I told everything I could about my tennis life. You know, Inna Raskazova from 'Moskovski Komosomolets' and I had a very detailed conversation. And then suddenly she said 'There has been so much postive stuff written about you, is there anything negative?'
Q. What did your Spanish coach Rafael Mensua give you that your mother couldn't?
M. Ask any player and he will tell you how difficult it is with your parents. There comes a moment when you simply start hating them in your mind. And if you begin working with a stranger, things change. You respect him as an expert, you have to pay him money..... Success or failure depends on the relationship you have with your coach. I'm friends with mine.
Q. They say you are a member of the Spanish style of tennis. Do you agree?
M. Well, if they say so... But, actually, tell me what kind of new technique I learnt in Spain, that couldn't be taught to me by my own mother in Moscow?
Rausa. To call him a child of the Spanish school, is to call Kournikova a child of the American school. She used to spend her entire summers with us on the courts at Spartak. Her trips to America can be called practise. You can practise here today, tomorrow somewhere else, but the style of play will always be Russian.
M. By the way, what is the definition of the Spanish style? We have to decide what 'Spanish School' is first.
Q. In the translation of your match against Courier in the Davis Cup, they said after a couple of obvious mistakes that you made when playing at the net; "Well what do you expect? Spaniards are never good playing at the net."
Misha. What journalists say is just nonsense: "He can't play at the net." ? What makes them think that? If Marat is playing really well at the baseline, and doesn't come to the net too often, there is no need for such a statement. Marat's current game was created by his mother - the coach. Rausa liked playing at the net herself. Remember how Marat did at Roland garros? Typical example. I was listening to Alik Mitrivelli's comments: "It would have been great if he'd approached the net now." And as if Marat could hear him, he came to the net and successfully won the point...... it's just that he is lacking game experience at the moment. Practice. Not the type you can get by training, but just game practice. By the way, the same thing happened to Andrei Medvedev, but he let the moment slip away.
M. And all this has nothing to do with the Spanish school. Moya plays really well at the front, comes to the net often. It shows, especially when you play doubles..... Alex Corretja plays. Even Alberto Berasategui does.
Q. What about you, will you play doubles?
M. I can't get anywhere right now. My ranking is too low. But I'd love to play. I'm trying to solve this problem at the moment.
Q. Do you have any specific ideas?
M. I've got a contract with IMG. I asked the people from the agency to help get me a wildcard for doubles. I want to play. It's interesting, plus it's extra money.
Q. Well, it's not just the money. Kafelnikov explained that he improved his singles game after he got the feel of the doubles game. And money comes next.
M. How can I understand this? Money doesn't come next. Money is always money...... why else play doubles? To earn money in the first place. There is nothing to be ashamed of here. Doubles becomes practice which you get paid for. Both profitable and pleasant.
Q. And mixed doubles?
M. That's not serious.
Q. OK, but lets get back to the question of the 'Spanish School'.
M. Spanish school? Well, you can write what you like about it. And what good will that do anyone? I doubt any of the journalists will even read it.
Q. I'm sure they will. We know full well that tennis journalists frequently borrow from 'Tennis +' magazine. After all, we are the only specialised edition.
M. As far as I'm concerned, I'm Russian school and I really don't know why journalists write about my 'Spanish School'.
Q. Tell me, is clay your favourite surface?
M. I've been playing on clay for 4 years. But I'm doing pretty well on hard courts too. A couple weeks of training, and everything will come together. I don't have an extreme addiction to clay, like, say, Berasategui. For him it takes alot of guts to play on a hard court. But he does play, and sometimes he's not too bad. Where did he beat Krajicek? I think it was in Paris, in autumn on carpet. And Ferreria - he beat him on hard court in America.
Q. Are there many hard courts in Spain, or just clay?
M. There is one Satellite tournament on hard court. The rest is clay.
Q. Have you played a challenger on clay?
M. In Portugal I tried to play on clay in the summer. Then from October till December 1st I played all only hard court tournaments.
Q. Everybody is quoting Iven Lendl now, saying "Grass is for cows." What do you think?
M. I've never even tried to play on grass. Maybe I'll like it.
Q. Let's move on. Your mother said you were going to take your driving test.
M. I've already taken it. Here, take a look.
Q. What car do you have?
M. A used 'Golf', something like 'felicia'. I got it for practically nothing. I haven't been driving for long, and I didn't want to smash up a new car. I'll upgrade later for a Mercedes. They promised to give me one this year.
Q. But back to tennis. What are you working on now?
M. The main thing is my game at the net. The rest is not too bad. I just need to refine it.
Q. In Moscow, at the Kremlin Cup, you once served at 217 Km/h.
M. This year in Philadelphia, I served at 221 Km/h against Schalken.
Q. What is your average speed of serve? 195 - 190?
M. I don't like American twists. [twisting the wrist when serving?] That's why it's around 180+.
Q. Is that something you mother taught you?
M. Mum taught me technique. And then the main thing is the actual motion, catching the rhythm.
Q. When our team was playing the Davis Cup final against Sweden, and then against America, were you in Moscow or Spain?
M. I was not present for the matches in Olimpiisky.
Q. Could you have possibly thought that one day you would be in the Davis Cup team yourself?
M. I wasn't thinking about that.
Misha. I should point out here that Marat's been in the Russian team since he was 13.
M. I was 2-3 in the country then.
Q. And who was number 1?
M. Artiem Derepasko.
Q. When did Tarpischev invite you to the Davis Cup squad?
M. I was in Austria then. Mum said that Shamil Anviarovich Tarpischev had called and invited me to play for the team. I first came to the Davis Cup when we were playing Romania. We won. And then Shamil told me about America.
Q. Did he say you were going to be number 2?
M. No. Then everybody was in the team: Volkov, Cherkasov, Olhovski. But it happened so that I was the one who played.
Q. Does TV in Spain, in the apartment you rent, get Russian channels?
M. No.
Q. So your life is now detached form Russia? You learn about what is going on here from your parents?
M. yes, in general. You can also learn things from local TV news.
Q. Do you speak english?
M. Not too well. I normally speak with Spaniards and our guys. Well, I can speak english, but I don't know if I am expressing myself properly, and it's important that you are understood.
Q..... and you haven't had any misunderstandings? You've already said quite alot of interesting things in Russian.
M.What do you mean?
Q. The interview with 'Moskovski Komosomolets'.
M. Oh, that's what you mean...... the journalist asked me: 'Do you drink?' Our conversation took place at the very first tournament I had played. Were they seriously asking me this? So I answered in a joke :
- I do
- Do you smoke?
-I don't
-Did you go to a bar or a club here?
-I did.
- What did you drink?
-Whisky.....
That was the funny conversation we had. Then I read in the newspaper that I drink lots of hard liquor everyday. What i can't understand is how I had the strength for seven matches, three of which were Kuerten, Agassi and Pioline, all five sets.......
Q. Let's move on. Do you have a girlfriend?
M. Her name is Silvia.
Q. Does she play tennis too?
M. She used to. She hurt her leg. Her sister still plays. We are in the same tennis club as her.
Q. Do you live far from her? Do you see each other alot?
M. 10 minutes away. Valencia is not a big city.
Translated by Ruth with ALOT of help from an earlier translation by Xena Egorova.
Original english translation can be found at:
www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Gym/8434/TENinterview1.html
No. 7/98
Part1 June 1998
An interview with Marat & his Parents after returning from Roland Garros 1998
Q. In the last couple of days you've given plenty of interviews. The interest of the journalists is understandable. But you probably know by now that talking to the press is part of your job?
M. yes. I've been told this by the people from the ITF (Intenational Tennis Federation)
Q. These interviews are in your interest. When you give your side of a match, a player, or yourself, there is less chance that people will lie about you.
Misha. Unfortunately, that's already happened, when they wrote something in an interview that Marat never said.
M. I don't really care. Let them write what they like.
Q. That's a risky attitude.... Marat, do you realise that journalists often misunderstand the facts, not because they want to offend you or Kafelnikov. Sometimes a reporter hears something on the grapevine, and they don't get chance to verify that information because the player involved is not accessible. That's when exaggerations and misunderstandings take place. But let's get down to business.... you've already given lots of interviews; what haven't you been asked about yet?
M. I guess I told everything I could about my tennis life. You know, Inna Raskazova from 'Moskovski Komosomolets' and I had a very detailed conversation. And then suddenly she said 'There has been so much postive stuff written about you, is there anything negative?'
Q. What did your Spanish coach Rafael Mensua give you that your mother couldn't?
M. Ask any player and he will tell you how difficult it is with your parents. There comes a moment when you simply start hating them in your mind. And if you begin working with a stranger, things change. You respect him as an expert, you have to pay him money..... Success or failure depends on the relationship you have with your coach. I'm friends with mine.
Q. They say you are a member of the Spanish style of tennis. Do you agree?
M. Well, if they say so... But, actually, tell me what kind of new technique I learnt in Spain, that couldn't be taught to me by my own mother in Moscow?
Rausa. To call him a child of the Spanish school, is to call Kournikova a child of the American school. She used to spend her entire summers with us on the courts at Spartak. Her trips to America can be called practise. You can practise here today, tomorrow somewhere else, but the style of play will always be Russian.
M. By the way, what is the definition of the Spanish style? We have to decide what 'Spanish School' is first.
Q. In the translation of your match against Courier in the Davis Cup, they said after a couple of obvious mistakes that you made when playing at the net; "Well what do you expect? Spaniards are never good playing at the net."
Misha. What journalists say is just nonsense: "He can't play at the net." ? What makes them think that? If Marat is playing really well at the baseline, and doesn't come to the net too often, there is no need for such a statement. Marat's current game was created by his mother - the coach. Rausa liked playing at the net herself. Remember how Marat did at Roland garros? Typical example. I was listening to Alik Mitrivelli's comments: "It would have been great if he'd approached the net now." And as if Marat could hear him, he came to the net and successfully won the point...... it's just that he is lacking game experience at the moment. Practice. Not the type you can get by training, but just game practice. By the way, the same thing happened to Andrei Medvedev, but he let the moment slip away.
M. And all this has nothing to do with the Spanish school. Moya plays really well at the front, comes to the net often. It shows, especially when you play doubles..... Alex Corretja plays. Even Alberto Berasategui does.
Q. What about you, will you play doubles?
M. I can't get anywhere right now. My ranking is too low. But I'd love to play. I'm trying to solve this problem at the moment.
Q. Do you have any specific ideas?
M. I've got a contract with IMG. I asked the people from the agency to help get me a wildcard for doubles. I want to play. It's interesting, plus it's extra money.
Q. Well, it's not just the money. Kafelnikov explained that he improved his singles game after he got the feel of the doubles game. And money comes next.
M. How can I understand this? Money doesn't come next. Money is always money...... why else play doubles? To earn money in the first place. There is nothing to be ashamed of here. Doubles becomes practice which you get paid for. Both profitable and pleasant.
Q. And mixed doubles?
M. That's not serious.
Q. OK, but lets get back to the question of the 'Spanish School'.
M. Spanish school? Well, you can write what you like about it. And what good will that do anyone? I doubt any of the journalists will even read it.
Q. I'm sure they will. We know full well that tennis journalists frequently borrow from 'Tennis +' magazine. After all, we are the only specialised edition.
M. As far as I'm concerned, I'm Russian school and I really don't know why journalists write about my 'Spanish School'.
Q. Tell me, is clay your favourite surface?
M. I've been playing on clay for 4 years. But I'm doing pretty well on hard courts too. A couple weeks of training, and everything will come together. I don't have an extreme addiction to clay, like, say, Berasategui. For him it takes alot of guts to play on a hard court. But he does play, and sometimes he's not too bad. Where did he beat Krajicek? I think it was in Paris, in autumn on carpet. And Ferreria - he beat him on hard court in America.
Q. Are there many hard courts in Spain, or just clay?
M. There is one Satellite tournament on hard court. The rest is clay.
Q. Have you played a challenger on clay?
M. In Portugal I tried to play on clay in the summer. Then from October till December 1st I played all only hard court tournaments.
Q. Everybody is quoting Iven Lendl now, saying "Grass is for cows." What do you think?
M. I've never even tried to play on grass. Maybe I'll like it.
Q. Let's move on. Your mother said you were going to take your driving test.
M. I've already taken it. Here, take a look.
Q. What car do you have?
M. A used 'Golf', something like 'felicia'. I got it for practically nothing. I haven't been driving for long, and I didn't want to smash up a new car. I'll upgrade later for a Mercedes. They promised to give me one this year.
Q. But back to tennis. What are you working on now?
M. The main thing is my game at the net. The rest is not too bad. I just need to refine it.
Q. In Moscow, at the Kremlin Cup, you once served at 217 Km/h.
M. This year in Philadelphia, I served at 221 Km/h against Schalken.
Q. What is your average speed of serve? 195 - 190?
M. I don't like American twists. [twisting the wrist when serving?] That's why it's around 180+.
Q. Is that something you mother taught you?
M. Mum taught me technique. And then the main thing is the actual motion, catching the rhythm.
Q. When our team was playing the Davis Cup final against Sweden, and then against America, were you in Moscow or Spain?
M. I was not present for the matches in Olimpiisky.
Q. Could you have possibly thought that one day you would be in the Davis Cup team yourself?
M. I wasn't thinking about that.
Misha. I should point out here that Marat's been in the Russian team since he was 13.
M. I was 2-3 in the country then.
Q. And who was number 1?
M. Artiem Derepasko.
Q. When did Tarpischev invite you to the Davis Cup squad?
M. I was in Austria then. Mum said that Shamil Anviarovich Tarpischev had called and invited me to play for the team. I first came to the Davis Cup when we were playing Romania. We won. And then Shamil told me about America.
Q. Did he say you were going to be number 2?
M. No. Then everybody was in the team: Volkov, Cherkasov, Olhovski. But it happened so that I was the one who played.
Q. Does TV in Spain, in the apartment you rent, get Russian channels?
M. No.
Q. So your life is now detached form Russia? You learn about what is going on here from your parents?
M. yes, in general. You can also learn things from local TV news.
Q. Do you speak english?
M. Not too well. I normally speak with Spaniards and our guys. Well, I can speak english, but I don't know if I am expressing myself properly, and it's important that you are understood.
Q..... and you haven't had any misunderstandings? You've already said quite alot of interesting things in Russian.
M.What do you mean?
Q. The interview with 'Moskovski Komosomolets'.
M. Oh, that's what you mean...... the journalist asked me: 'Do you drink?' Our conversation took place at the very first tournament I had played. Were they seriously asking me this? So I answered in a joke :
- I do
- Do you smoke?
-I don't
-Did you go to a bar or a club here?
-I did.
- What did you drink?
-Whisky.....
That was the funny conversation we had. Then I read in the newspaper that I drink lots of hard liquor everyday. What i can't understand is how I had the strength for seven matches, three of which were Kuerten, Agassi and Pioline, all five sets.......
Q. Let's move on. Do you have a girlfriend?
M. Her name is Silvia.
Q. Does she play tennis too?
M. She used to. She hurt her leg. Her sister still plays. We are in the same tennis club as her.
Q. Do you live far from her? Do you see each other alot?
M. 10 minutes away. Valencia is not a big city.
Translated by Ruth with ALOT of help from an earlier translation by Xena Egorova.
Original english translation can be found at:
www.geocities.com/Colosseum/Gym/8434/TENinterview1.html
