Marat Press conference

[dander]

this speaks for itself...


Hamburg, 13 May 2004

Press Conference with MARAT SAFIN

Melzer – Safin 6:4, 6:4



Q: You didn’t look that comfortable out there?

SAFIN: No, I didn’t feel like playing today.

Q: The weather conditions?

SAFIN: No, I just didn’t feel like being on the court. The hour they put me and all that together took over my motivation.

Q: What’s the remedy now?

SAFIN: Nothing. I will go home and enjoy my life a little.

Q: Did you talk about the organisation about the schedule?

SAFIN: No, they make the schedule the way they like. I have no right to say anything to them or blame them. They decide who they want to see in the first match.

Q: You were saying before that you were looking forward to this season.

SAFIN: Yes, but suddenly the weather conditions have changed, the balls are no good, the courts in Hamburg are soft. You get a lot of bad bounces. The balls are ridiculous. Everybody is complaining, but the ATP doesn’t do anything about it. It’s not only me who is complaining, I talked to several other players, also Haas is complaining. But the ATP doesn’t care.

Q: This debate started in Monaco.

SAFIN: Yes, because the balls are not satisfying the players. For us players who have a big serve, we can’t play with these balls. Then you have no confidence in your shots. You start to play, you hit a great shot and the ball just goes into the fence.

Q: Is it the same ball at Roland Garros?

SAFIN: No, it’s different.

Q: How long do you think it will be to have your motivation back?

SAFIN: I don’t know. Hopefully it will be back for the French Open. I’m not motivated at all. After such a match, you don’t want to play and go on the court. You have no reason to fight.

Q: With the prospect of a Grand Slam coming up …

SAFIN: First, Grand Slam is only a name. I also have to play tennis there. Hopefully, the conditions are better there. But the stage I’m playing right now is too low.



Q: Is there a little chance you will not play the French Open?

SAFIN: I will decide the last moment. If I don’t feel good, I will not go. I will not just go because I have to go. I’m not this kind of person.

Q: So, if you will not feel like going, you will not go.

SAFIN: No, I won’t go.

Q: Is it the same balls here like in Estoril?

SAFIN: No, it’s different. It’s only Monte Carlo, Rome and Hamburg. The balls are a real nightmare?

Q: Can’t the players do anything?

SAFIN: Yes, the players complain. But the ATP doesn’t do anything. What can we say. It seems the ATP doesn’t care about it. We are not allowed to speak this way, but it’s a fact the alls are not good. It’s not just because I lost today. Also other players complain. From the top 50, it’s 99% who are not happy with the balls because you can’t fee the ball. You don’t feel your shots. If I go the ATP, they’ll fin a thousand reasons and you are the bad guy because you complain. You really have to struggle to win my matches and have to change my game.

Q: What do you have to do differently?

SAFIN: If I go for my shots and miss because I didn’t hit the ball properly, I know that. But with this ball, you hit the ball twice, once it is o.k., the next time it just goes into the fence. It’s not stable. As if something was wrong with the air inside the ball. They are like very light stones. Of course, the ATP gets money I think from Penn. But the balls are not properly made. They have to change something. It can still be Penn.

Q: Where are you going from here? Back to Moscow?

SAFIN: Yes, I’ll go home and relax. And if I feel like playing I might go to France on Wednesday.

 

[Free_Martha]

this speaks for itself...

It sure does. What a whiner. :roll:

 

[Feña14]

Once again his attitude isn't the best, he should be grateful that he has the talent he has Also to be able to do what we all love doing as a living.

"I didn't feel like playing today"

He doesn't even care!

We can't really comment on the balls as I haven't had the pleasure of playing with them at a TMS event in Europe in front of millions of people world wide, while competing with the best players in the world!

However if the players aren't happy they need to make them happy as they will play better tennis and the viewers will enjoy it more, IMO

Liam

 

[Ronaldo]

Wondered how and why Safin had the 1st match the past two days. Must be mighty chilly when the Umpire is wearing a winter jacket and most players had two shirts on. Safin was wearing a sweatshirt. And the courts were slow. And the balls were fast, eh? Got up at 4 am to watch this match.

 

[pound cat]

I have been a Safin fan for years, and this time I really must admit this is beyond all of his previous interviews. Didn't feel like playing???? That has to be an all time stupid tennis comment. Not motivated? I thought he was still trying to be #1 last week. Too early in the day? The balls are too heavy? This is very, very funny, or very, very sad. I haven't decided which it is yet.

 

[Feña14]

Peter Fleming said that it was 12 degrees today which isn't too bad, imo.

I couldn't believe my eyes when a Spanish player going by the name Carlos Moya played the third set in a sleevless top :shock:

Liam

 

[BigboyDan]

OK, I'll ask it:

What kind of balls are they using at Hamburg?

 

[galain]

Oh God!

I would so very much like him to do well at Roland Garros - but what can you say? I hope he brings some spirit with him.

Dan - I think he said the balls were Penn)

 

[Nosoupforyou]

So much talent...
So little heart at times...

 

[drakulie]

Safin is one fry short of a happy meal. He reminds me of the nutt job in the movie 'ONE FLEW OVER THE COCOOS NEST' where he repeatedly says, "I don't want your cigarettes, I want my cigarettes!"

 

[jings]

A guy who speaks his mind and says what he feels - I'm glad Marat's back and calling it the way he sees it. We all know what he means. You're on court, down, not timing it, things aren't working, you try to be positive, but somehow everything goes against you, you have one of those off days ... and all you want is just to get off court. Did you see Melzer's winner on match point ... insane!He's not the first to complain about the balls either.

 

[Max G.]

I'm not surprised Melzer beat Safin.

I saw the scores from his first two matches - Melzer beat Massu 3 and 0, and then someone else 1 and 0. He was clearly on fire. Safin had to have a very very very good day to win, and he didn't.

 

[david aames]

All of you seem to overlook the fact that he is basically blasting his racquet sponsor... Head owns Penn.

 

[William Bedford]

Not impressed. Safin WAS one of my favourite players........

 

[PrestigeClassic]

Safin's got to be the eternal pessimist to be from Russia and complaining about cold weather.

 

[Tomek]

In Poland, where Head is very popular, no one wants to play Peen balls. That are the worst balls on the market. But what balls do players on the have from Penn might be different, but since everybody complain, something is not right...

 

[drummerboy]

I saw the match and didn't liked the way Marat was behaving. It seemed like the old too angry Marat. The balls are the same for both players. What a lame excuse. Jurgen really wiped his ass out there.

 

[yee]

Did Safin forget he's a professional player? Playing tennis is his job I believe? Not to mention that's a job that had brought him millions of dollars and obviously a spoil life as witnessed. Not feeling like playing? The hours not right? Gosh...

This guy doesn't deserve to be up there irregardless of what talent he has with this type of lousy attitude.

 

[yee]

I have been a Safin fan for years, and this time I really must admit this is beyond all of his previous interviews. Didn't feel like playing???? That has to be an all time stupid tennis comment. Not motivated? I thought he was still trying to be #1 last week. Too early in the day? The balls are too heavy? This is very, very funny, or very, very sad. I haven't decided which it is yet.

Good to see a fan not blind enough to defend that type of behaviour of their favourites, like many others will do

 

[C_Urala]

O'k, I will.

Safin's got to be the eternal pessimist to be from Russia and complaining about cold weather.

It's good as a joke, I admit, but if you read his words carefully, you'll see that he didn't say a word about cold weather.

 

[C_Urala]

Did Safin forget he's a professional player? Playing tennis is his job I believe? Not to mention that's a job that had brought him millions of dollars and obviously a spoil life as witnessed. Not feeling like playing? The hours not right? Gosh...

This guy doesn't deserve to be up there irregardless of what talent he has with this type of lousy attitude.

A job is not slavery. If he doesn't want, nobody can force him.
It's not a job that had brought him money, it's he who has earned this money.
And it's not up to you to decide what he does or does not deserve.

 

[C_Urala]

And to make things clear, I have never been his or whosesoever fan.

 

[jeebeesus]

you guys never come across playing with tennis balls you dont like?

 

[yee]

A job is not slavery. If he doesn't want, nobody can force him.
It's not a job that had brought him money, it's he who has earned this money.
And it's not up to you to decide what he does or does not deserve.

here we go...

If he's happy to be just one of those top 10 or 20 players, then good for him but don't claimed to be motivated to be back to no.1 but kept blaming each loss for opponents getting lucky, bad balls, court conditions, early matches, don't feel like playing... :roll:

Nobody can force him to play for sure, but again if he claims to be wanting to be back to no.1, I'm afraid like or want it or not, he has to do it. Else don't talk **** about getting back to no.1 :roll:

Mind you I like Safin's tennis too but am not blind enough to defend this type of attitude.

 

[C_Urala]

If he's happy to be just one of those top 10 or 20 players, then good for him but don't claimed to be motivated to be back to no.1 but kept blaming each loss for opponents getting lucky, bad balls, court conditions, early matches, don't feel like playing... :roll:

Nobody can force him to play for sure, but again if he claims to be wanting to be back to no.1, I'm afraid like or want it or not, he has to do it. Else don't talk @#$% about getting back to no.1 :roll:

Mind you I like Safin's tennis too but am not blind enough to defend this type of attitude.

When he said that he wanted to be No1, he was doing everything to achive it.
Now, he doesn't play like he wants it anymore, and he doesn't say that he wants it. His words are consistent with his deeds. What's wrong with such attitude as being honest?!

 

[yee]

well done C_Urala. Great post, great thoughts.

 

[C_Urala]

thanks

 

[larrhall]

Exactly right, C Urala. He was talking about being #1 in Australia and before IW. Around IW Marat started to fade again, get disinterested, and returned to making metaphysical comments. Drysdale made a comment during IW, something like, "I just love this guy. I asked him how things were going, and he said 'there's more to life than this.'" He was over his fascination with #1, as if in Australia he'd shown himself he could be among the top.

Translation - he was really interested in proving to himself and maybe (or not) to others that he could be among the elite. Probably never cared that much about #1, and realized or just is unable to maintain his interest - not single-minded enough. Still his game is enough to win, say, the US Open.

 

[Max G.]

Or any other Slam. He'll never get back up to #1 with this attitude though - he needs to commit himself if he wants to be up there, and he's not doing that.

 

[@wright]

Sounds like he's a professional excuse creator instead of tennis player. I wish marat would quit being such a pu$$ and start playing tennis. He needs a coach who will break him.

 

[cenzo]

Marat just said what he feels. People are talking about Safin's complaining, but it seems that most of the posts are complaining about Safin. So go figure. I guess it takes one to know one. And why do people think that being a professional tennis player is a priviledge? It's not a horrible thing to not want to play tennis every single week of the year, even is you do it for a living. Living life is a priviledge. So if Marat doesn't want to play, so be it. Just because most people don't have the "balls" to skip work when they don't want to go, doesn't mean the Marat does. Hell, most people go to a job 5 days a week that they don't even enjoy. Who's fault is that? Don't blame Marat.

 

[joebedford]

It is a poor workman who blames his tools. :-}

 

[perfmode]

Safin has the right to be happy. If he doesn't want to play, he doesn't have to.

 

[pound cat]

"He needs a coach who will break him" Oh yeah, good idea. Break his spirit . Reminiscent of horse training. No player nor any horse needs a coach who will break him...what a horrible thought.

As for "a poor workman blames his tools" ... that's exactly what Safin was doing in this interview (but likely not in the next one). Well said Aesop, or one of his contemporaries.

 

[Rabbit]

I know there are days I don't feel like going to work, and there are days at work that I don't put in 100% (our secret because I know I am the only one). Tennis is a game to us, and I'm sure it is to the players, but I can understand how day in and day out it can get to be a job. Marat just had the wherewithall to say how he feels.

With Marat, you ask a question and you get an honest answer. He was playing a tournament and wound up playing with Murphy. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong as far as Marat was concerned. Hey, everybody has bad days.

As far as being number 1, that's truly more of an American (North American) thing than it is an international goal. I would hazard a guess that the majority of the millionaires on tour could care less about being number 1 as long as they can enjoy a lifestyle that most of us can only dream of. I know that the travel must be a hard thing to deal with, and the fans, the autographs, etc., but they've all got a light at the end of the tunnel. Just think about retiring before you're 30 and not hitting a lick at a snake. Why bust your chops to be number 1?

If Marat isn't motivated it's because he feels he has everything he needs. I think it's more a case of too much money than too little motivation. And, just to re-state, I really appreciate his honesty and frankness. Maybe it is an advantage to not have English as your first language in an interview, I like Ivo's interviews as well. And, I'm not so sure that I would bust my hump to be number 1 if I could be in the top 10 - 20. That's like saying Bill Gates should've made more money IMO.