AAMI CLASSIC

10 JANUARY 2008

PRESS CONFERENCE - MARAT SAFIN

Roddick d. Safin 6-3, 6-3

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 I 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