Marat Safin Interview - Kooyong

AAMI CLASSIC 10 JANUARY 2008 PRESS CONFERENCE

MARAT SAFIN

Q. Marat, Andy looked in pretty hot form out there. Was that a case of him being on top of his game, or were you a bit below par today? 
A. No; but what it think was, first of all, tough conditions. It's pretty hot out there, a lot of wind, so it's pretty difficult to control the ball, especially when you are playing against a guy like him with a big serve, and you need to be really fit. I wasn't my best today, felt a little bit slow on the court. But that's nothing to do with it. Next week is another tournament. He is playing well, serving well, but I still believe I can play much better than that, and I can bring up my game next week.

Q. How much was today the conditions or your game? You sort of looked a bit thrown by the wind a bit?
A. It was pretty tough for me, to be honest. I couldn't see the ball pretty well, and a lot of wind. Also, my game, I don't play more all the time, not hitting the ball, not playing pretty flat, so it's very tough. And to play against him you need to be really, like really, really in good shape. But he is playing solid. He doesn't make any mistakes, goes with the serve, put pressure on opponent's serve, and he is waiting for mistakes. He works pretty well so he's a complete player. For me, it was pretty tough today.

Q. Do you feel ready yet for next week?
A. Yeah. I think it was two good matches, even though I lost today pretty easy. I didn't play for the last, three, four months any matches, so for me to play in these kind of matches is very good start for the year so I can see what I need to work on next few days. A lot of sets, try to work myself on some things and get ready. I think it was pretty good preparation for me.

Q. Did the court play any differently to yesterday, in the extreme heat?
A. Well, the court has nothing to do with it. The balls are a little bit, flying a little bit more with the heat, so it was kind of also a problem for me to control because I played with same tension like yesterday, and today was really hard so I need to play a little bit harder strings. But, anyway a few things. It doesn't mean I lost because of that, but just a few, few touches here and there it will be okay.

Q. The balls seemed to be fluffing up a little bit; does that seem to be a problem, do you think? Some of the players are saying the balls are fluffing up a little bit with this surface? Did you notice that?
A. Well, I'm pretty sure the players who are talking like this are the ones who don't have so much power, so they are complaining; also complain when the balls are too fast, you know. So for every person it's different feel. For me, I feel like the court has to be green. But it's okay. But everybody has own feelings, sensations on the court, which makes big difference. I guess, for sure, the balls are becoming big, but for players like me, like Roddick, Roger, the ones who are hitting the ball pretty hard, I think these kinds of balls suit their game. Otherwise would be too fast, because the courts are not slow. So we need to slow down somehow the game, otherwise there would be no rallies and would be boring for everyone.

Q. You spoke yesterday about where you are in your ranking and where you want to be going ahead, and getting that down again. Does today give you any further indication of how you are going, or do the conditions make it too difficult to read?
A. Also, it's just 10th of January today, so we are talking about - already, my rank is 57 in the world, which is not great but still top hundred, and of course I don't want to be here in my position right now. I want to be a little bit higher for that, to be pretty solid throughout the year, and the big tournament is coming right now. Also hoping for the good draw, I won't be seeded so I need to - I would have pretty touch match in any round, so hoping for the rest not to play with Roger Federer in the first round. And then, with a ranking, if you make a couple of good results I think you can be seeded, and then you need to be, stay confident and stay focused and be consistent. Then in the middle of the year you already know where you are going to be in the end of the year, and my goal is to be top 20. I just try there, and from there to top 10 is not so far.

Q. Marat, Lleyton Hewitt had a go at the standard of umpiring yesterday, saying it has got worse since Hawk Eye came in because the umpires aren't as brave to make decisions. Do you feel it has go got worse in the last couple of years?
A. Well, I mean, there was people bought Hawk Eye, so all of a sudden some tournaments they have Hawkeye; some tournaments they don't have Hawk Eye. On the Rod Laver Arena we have Hawk Eye, and I think Vodaphone there's no Hawk Eye. So also it's a little bit strange situation. I understand him also, because balls playing so fast, such fast tennis. Say, for example, the woman today makes an overrule and she couldn't see that ball, first of all because it was going pretty first, and second of all she couldn't see through Roddick and she overruled. What makes it overrule because the linesman said she didn't say, well, she saw it. How is it - how you can see through the people - these kind of decisions? Of course, this position is different completely, what Hewitt has. I'm pretty sure it's tough to make some calls when both players are playing such fast tennis, and they should make Hawk Eye maybe everywhere and every court. That's a lot of money.

Q. He says it's got worse, though. Has it got worse in the last year?
A. It's got faster. The game is too fast for the people to say, so you can't say the people are getting worse and worse. It's just the game is getting faster and faster. It's impossible to see some of the balls.

Q. Thank you? - - -
AAMI CLASSIC 10/1/08 4 SAFIN