level 1
M. Safin - Day 5Friday, June 24, 2005Q. How do you think you played today?MARAT SAFIN: Well, not good enough to win this match. Didn't take my opportunities at the beginning, actually in the first set. I couldn't adjust my game to him. I was struggling with the returning of the serve. Just couldn't find my game there.Q. Is the love affair with grass over?MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I'm out for the next year. So next year I will talk more about it.Q. Do you feel like you've made some steps forward, though, on grass?MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I think the way I've been playing for the past two weeks I think is great. Even though that I lost today and I didn't have really my day and I couldn't play my best tennis. But at the end of the day I'm satisfied finally I found my game on grass. I was a little bit unlucky with the draw. Just have nothing to complain about. I'm pretty happy.Q. So you feel like maybe you'll arrive at the grass court season more optimistic next year?MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, I hope so.Q. How much were you bothered by your knee today?MARAT SAFIN: Well, today was a little bit actually ‑‑ was a little bit painful. I had to put some ice before the match. But it's not because ‑‑ of course, it's not because of the knee I lost. I'm not finding any excuse. Just now I have enough time to take care of my knee and get ready.Q. Do you have a date for the operation?MARAT SAFIN: I have no operation. Why everybody is trying to make me operation? No, I have to make a treatment. I have to really take care of it seriously, and I have to make some procedures with the knee. Whatever the doctor will say, I guess I have to do.He's optimistic about that I don't have to go to any surgery, I don't have to do anything. I was lucky enough to go to the doctor right now, otherwise if it would go a little bit later, I might have the operation.So I was real lucky.Q. What can you say about the Feliciano match?MARAT SAFIN: Well, he played really well. He had nothing to lose basically. He had no pressure whatsoever. He was playing his game. He was serving well. He took his chances. He played pretty solid game. He's really confident right now.Q. You think he can go far away in the tournament?MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, but you never know with these guys. They beat you one day, then next day they can lose to anybody. So this is a little bit ‑‑ I don't know. If he plays the same tennis he played today, I think he can do really big things here.But you never know. One day they can play the best tennis, and the other days they just cannot put two balls inside the court. So we'll see what's going to happen with him the day after tomorrow.Q. Is there any time in the last five months you think you've reached the same level that you had in Australia?MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. I played ‑‑ against Philippoussis I played very well. Against Srichaphan, I played really well. In Halle, I played a great tennis. I think I had been the same level as I was in Australia.
2005年06月24日 16点06分
1
