April 16, 2002

http://www.masters-series.com/montecarlo/news/interviews/tuesday_safin.asp

TENNIS MASTERS SERIES
Monte-Carlo, Monaco

M. SAFIN/T. Robredo
4-6, 6-3, 6-2

An Interview With:
MARAT SAFIN
[節錄]
THE MODERATOR:  First question for Marat, please.

Q.  You were one of the young guys on the tour, but you're an old
guy now in the next round.  In the women's game we've seen lots of
girls coming in at 15, 16 years old.  But a guy coming in at 15 is
very rare, isn't it?

MARAT SAFIN:  Yeah, it's... I mean, I was a newcomer just, for me,
it was like few years ago.  But that's already like five years ago,
four years ago. And I'm already, you know, fourth year on the tour.
To play the new guy, it's something new for me, especially when he's
15 years old. I think he's great player.  You don't have to look at
the age anymore, because everybody can play tennis.  Everybody can
beat anybody.  And he showed that he can play tennis.  He beat Voinea,
he beat Davydenko, guys that are already Top 100.  He beat them in
two sets.  And in the first match in the main draw he beat Squillari,
which is a tough opponent.  He beat him in three sets.

Q.  Did you see him playing?

MARAT SAFIN:  Yeah.  He has very good timing, you know.  Great shots.
But, you know, also if ?? I have to play against him tomorrow, so
anyway I know how to play also and I am little bit ?? I have more
experience than him.  I would say that I would have to win so I
would have to find, you know, weak points of his game.  So I find
out tomorrow.

....

Q.  Do you think that Gasquet could be a little shy to play against
a player like you?

MARAT SAFIN:  Not anymore.  I mean, the Juniors, and I know myself
also when I played the first time Roland Garros when I qualified, I
didn't really care because you have nothing to lose actually.
You're not, you know  ?? he's playing in France basically.  His
people support him.  He's in good shape.  He has nothing to lose.
He's just playing his matches. He's play relaxed, is like in practice.
Everything is going inside, you know, whatever comes.  He's hitting
the ball hard.  Of course it's not so difficult, you know...
But let's see if he can make it after something else, after this
tournament, you know, not just one tournament.  And then it's long
way to go still. So... But I think has great potential, great tennis,
which is I'm sure that he will manage to, you know, get inside of
Top 100.  And after we'll see.

Q.  Sorry if this was asked earlier, but have you actually seen him
play, watched him play?

MARAT SAFIN:  Yeah, I watched him.  I really like his game I think.
It's really nice-- one-hand backhand, great serve for 15 years old.
You know, because many people, they don't have really good serve
because they still growing and it's difficult to  ?? you have to
correct the technique and everything.  He's hitting the serve very
well.  Great timing, I mean, with his shots.  Just he knows the game
pretty well at the time.  I'm surprised.  He is 15 and he knows how
to play.

Q.  Have you ever seen a 15-year-old as good as he is now at this
stage, or apparently as good at this stage?

MARAT SAFIN:  I don't think so.  Is long time that  ?? since, I
don't know, who was the last one who made in Top 100 just playing
big tournaments when he was 16 years old? I don't know who it was.
Maybe I know from Russians, Medvedev.

Q.  Maybe Chang.

MARAT SAFIN:  Chang maybe.  But we are talking about in '88, '87.
Now is 2002. Everything is much faster, and it's really difficult
to adapt yourself to the level that we are playing.

Q.  Like you, he was coached by his parents.  They are tennis
teachers.  You had your mother.  Since the age of 4, he's been
taught by his father and mother who are both tennis teachers.
So that's obviously a big help, isn't it, to have that sort of
environment?

MARAT SAFIN:  Yes.  Especially also, I mean, he grew up in France.
It's a big advantage.  Tennis in France is great.  You have great ??
also great coaches, and everybody's playing more or less similar,
you know?  Doesn't  ?? it's great. You have great teachers I think
here, great technique.  And very talented players, actually: Grosjean,
Clement, Escude, Pioline.  Is beautiful tennis.  He's more or
less same as Pioline, one-handed backhand.  Just great. So I think
the parents, they are also very good coaches.  And of course it helps.
Of course.
But it never worked until, I don't know  ?? it work until you are 15,
16 maximum. Then you have to change.  Then you have to take a coach
because you stop to respect the parents because the parents, they
have to stay parents and the coach is a coach.  So you have to
separate these two things.