US OPEN

September 7, 1998

Marat Safin

Q. You went out there saying the other day that you didn't think you had a chance. Did you think you had a chance after the first serve?

MARAT SAFIN: No, because normally he made two aces per game, so it's very difficult to play. I didn't return so well. I make my serve, he makes first set break at 4-All. It was a break, maybe it's a lucky break because it was one double-fault, because passing shot, unbelievable passing shot. Maybe could be, I don't know, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2. But I think it's enough for me. He shows me how it is playing No. 1 of the world.

MARAT SAFIN: I have to improve too many things to be like Pete. He played tennis perfect, almost perfect. That's why he's No. 1 for seven years or eight years, because he has unbelievable serve. You can see, he serve over 100, second and first serve. He made today 18 aces. He put the ball all the time close to the line, so it's very difficult to return. He put many pressure all the time because he's moving to the net all the time. He played perfect, I think.

MARAT SAFIN: I think I had more chances on the baseline. When you make a point normally, I won the point. I mean, I feel much better when we playing on baseline because I was playing all the time on his backhand, and he missed some balls, because the forehand is no problem. He just make a winner. If he's moving to the net, it's very difficult to pass him. When he stay on the baseline, I had some chances to win the point.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah.

MARAT SAFIN: I have to fight to break him. But it was impossible today. I didn't make just one break. Couldn't make it.

MARAT SAFIN: No.

MARAT SAFIN: No. It doesn't matter, because it was again just serve and volley. That wasn't the rallies, so it doesn't matter. You just have to serve, volley, maybe two, three groundstrokes, nothing more. So it doesn't matter the weather.

MARAT SAFIN: One more time.

MARAT SAFIN: In the summer, I didn't feel like this. It wasn't this problem. Because when I'm playing Sampras, he's playing like this. In the summer was I play against the guys who are playing more or less my level, because this unbelievable level, is No. 1 in the world. The other guys was maybe 50, 40. I mean, you can play against them. They are very good players, but you can play against them. But I couldn't put one ball in, nothing. I couldn't do anything because when I hit the ball, I didn't feel where it will go, maybe two meters out. It was one bounce on my side. It was like this all the time. Then I feel I couldn't do anything.

MARAT SAFIN: It's happening. But sometimes maybe it wasn't my fault. Maybe I think it's the people. Sometimes -- I mean not in my match, in other matches it was, I think my coach told me in one match I make on TV, was the second serve, set point, second serve, foot fault. I mean, you can't do this. Second serve for set point, you call foot fault. I mean is not correct, I think this.

MARAT SAFIN: For me?

MARAT SAFIN: For me it's okay. All my matches like this. Sometimes when you're losing, they're calling foot fault, you get more nervous. But I have to improve this too, because you can't make ten foot faults on one match. I have to work on it. It's not normal.

MARAT SAFIN: No. I hit the ball like this all the time. It's normal, normal shot for me. I didn't go for too much today. It's just my game. I didn't hit the ball so hard.

MARAT SAFIN: Yeah. Because I know if I hit so hard, I can't play like this all the match. This is my shots, normal shots. Dent, the other day, he was going for too much for sure.

MARAT SAFIN: Nothing. Just he's No. 1. He played perfect, perfect. Nothing more.

MARAT SAFIN: I couldn't do anything today.

MARAT SAFIN: Not bad, but not so easy (laughter).

MARAT SAFIN: Oh, very tough. I think I can't play this game. Who knows what can happen, but I would like to play like this. I will try (laughter). But I'm not sure, because I have to work a lot to be like him. Half of Pete Sampras, to be half of Pete Sampras, is enough for me.

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