Q. You've had some difficult moments so far in this tournament, but you seem remarkably composed. You're not throwing your racquet very much; the body language just seems so much more relaxed out there than you used to be. Is that by design or just a coincidence?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it's just ‑‑ just five‑set matches, you don't want to waste any energy. Of course, I get pissed and sometimes I will explode sometimes for sure during the match, next one, or maybe if I continue, in another one.
But definitely I try to ‑‑ you know, try to stay as calm as I can, because it's really important. Every single point is really important here. We're playing for a big event. Especially against players like Ferrero, you can't go crazy because he feels this straightaway, and it's even more difficult to come back and to fight it back.
I prefer to stay calm and try to do my job.
Q. When you're more composed like this, do you feel like it improves your tennis?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, sometimes yes. Sometimes of course it's difficult because if you swallow too much, it's also really difficult to continue playing well. If you have a war in your head, you need to explode sooner or later. It's difficult sometimes to continue swallowing.
Q. Can you tell us the story of the third set from your point of view, what happened there.
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I got a little bit myself under pressure, lost also a little bit of concentration because I wanted to do really well at the beginning of this third set. I wanted to do early break.
And then I found myself that I make a couple of easy mistakes and then he just felt the momentum and he broke me. And since then, just I lost the concentration completely and I couldn't come back.
So after 3‑Love, when it became 4‑Love, I decided it's gonna be his set. And then I was trying to save some energy for the fourth one.
Q. In your point of view what really made the difference today in such a close match, especially the first two sets? I asked the same question to Ferrero, but I would like to...
MARAT SAFIN: I think it's just matter of just couple of points, actually. You need to take your opportunities because the match is going so close, and it can go any ‑‑ he was up a break in the first and second set. So I was lucky somewhere.
I played a little bit more brave in some moments and the luck was on my side. And just one, two points, like I said, made the all difference.
Q. Did you consciously make sure you held your third service in the third set so as to have the odd game service lead in the fourth?
MARAT SAFIN: Yep.
Q. You did?
MARAT SAFIN: Yep (nodding yes).
Q. It's the 10th time you've played Juan Carlos. I think you're 5‑5. Over the years you've had a few good matches against him. How do you judge his level now? Do you think he getting back to the top level? If he's not, what does he need to do?
MARAT SAFIN: I think he's getting back slowly. Well, I think he improved a lot, actually, from the beginning of the year. Especially if you are getting injured and you didn't play for such a long time, like he didn't. I think he didn't play for like half a year.
It's really difficult to come back because you lose a lot of rhythm. You lose a lot of things, you know, a lot of small things that makes the big difference from being like Top 50 or being ‑‑ become a Top 10 again. Because you need to work a little harder, you need to push yourself much more, and you used to do it before when you were already five years on tour. And then all of a sudden you stop and then all of a sudden you need to start again. And then you lose, you lose the sharpness.
But I think he is getting back. He made some great results in the beginning of the year. And he'll be back. I don't know if he's gonna be Top 10, but he's definitely gonna be back.
Q. You talk about energy levels. Because you're such a big guy, we think you don't have a problem with the heat like some of the other players. Can you tell us what it was like out there today?>
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it wasn't extremely hot today like it was yesterday, for example. We both grew up in Spain. He's living in Spain. For him, it's like 30 degrees is like nothing. I spent so many years there. It's like it doesn't really bother us.
Q. You seem to talk to yourself so much during the match. Is there something you try to remind yourself of? What is that dialogue like with yourself?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it's not dialogue (smiling). It's because you really feel the moment, you know, where you can make mistakes and where you cannot mistakes; what is the important moments, what is not the important moments. So whenever you miss, like, your opportunity and you see it coming, of course you get pissed with yourself because you really ‑‑ like some balls are really so important, and then you can make a big difference in the match. Then of course you get ‑‑ you say to yourself whatever you think about yourself.
Q. Are there certain strategies or certain things you try to remind yourself to do?
MARAT SAFIN: No, of course not. Just a little bit of desperation. Little bit of ‑‑ whenever you get pissed with yourself, whatever you say. Same (smiling).
Q. Is it interesting conversation, or is it...
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it's a one‑man conversation. Nobody's answering, so.. Which is good.
Q. Like the one‑man act in the theater or something?
MARAT SAFIN: Yeah, nobody's answering.
Q. How long have you known Juan Carlos, since you went to Spain?
MARAT SAFIN: Since we were 14.
Q. Since you were 14. You played, then, when you were 14‑year‑olds?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, we practiced a couple of times with him, practiced a lot, because he used to live like 100 kilometers away from where I used to be.
But we played a lot of championships together, which is Tarbes, you know, like the French people, they know. Tarbes is Les Petits As.
We played there like sometimes, couple of times during the year. And then just on a professional level.
Q. Who was winning when you were kids?
MARAT SAFIN: Him.
Q. He was?
MARAT SAFIN: (Nodding yes).
Q. The weather's been pretty fabulous the first week. I think we've had a couple of drips of rain. On a fortnight very much like this, Pete Sampras got to the semifinals once; so did Patrick Rafter. Is it in your mind that if the weather stays this good, with the kind of power you bring from the back court, you can win the French Open?
MARAT SAFIN: It's still too, too far. It's still too far to think about it. You need to get through the quarterfinals first, and then it's a different story, I think. You need to get to the second week, and then you can see how you feel, if you feel comfortable.
Q. Are you there?
MARAT SAFIN: Not yet. Not yet. I am there. But because we still have a lot of clay court specialists in the draw ‑ Coria is somewhere there and, you know, us. So it's gonna be a really tough one.
But why not? Why not? If I continue this way, I think I have a chance, like every other player who gonna be in quarterfinals.
Q. Is the crowd support important for you?
MARAT SAFIN: I think it's really important. 15,000 people supporting you and really enjoying what you do on the court, I think it's more than help ‑ especially right now.
Q. Do you try to put the crowd on your side?
MARAT SAFIN: I don't know. I don't know how to do it. But they definitely ‑‑ they definitely ‑‑ definitely they support. But they actually support each other in the crowd. In Paris it's pretty ‑‑ they understand what's going on the court and they live a little ‑‑ they understand what's going on with the players, how they react and everything, and how the match grows. So they try to cheer both sides, which is pretty nice.
Q. Which part of your game today were you most pleased with? You're rallying quite well, nice dropshots, serving well. Also, how is the tendonitis?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, I took care of it yesterday. Made a visit to therapy. Took a lot of painkillers. Am trying to hold, hang in there, and see what's going on.
But it's definitely ‑‑ it's a problem.
Q. In the tiebreaker of the fourth set, you didn't have much body language over the match. But 4‑2 you had a good fist pump. Was there some point where you decided, "This is the time I kill the match"?
MARAT SAFIN: Well, it was a really, really important point for me. I think it was 3‑2 ‑‑ no, 4‑2, actually, it was. 4‑2, it was really ‑‑ you're going 3‑All or 4‑2. Is a big difference, huge difference. You change sides, the wind is blowing one side. I was happy that I was going 4‑2 on the side that I was playing with the wind.
Q. What was the major difference between Juan Carlos and yourself today?
MARAT SAFIN: There wasn't such a difference between the two of us. It's more a question of points, you know. In the first set there was a tiebreak. Then he broke in the second set. Really, we'd been quite close.
I think at one point he realized that things weren't going too well. He was a bit nervous. He didn't know how to finish his set. I had an opportunity, I broke, and then the tiebreak in the first set he played quite well.
In the second set, I broke back. But, you know, I think the whole match turned around one or two points. One or two points really made the difference.
Он в интерью после матча сказал, что ХКФ намного сильнее Робредо и что у Томми бывают психологические сбои..... Видимо, он надеется на лучшее. А мы приготовимся к худшему
I think the whole match turned around one or two points. One or two points really made the difference.
Интересно,а почему сегодня об этом не задумывался? Единственное приятное воспоминание с сегодняшнегго матча это его джентельменский поступок в виде подарка мяча и как Марика поддерживала публика,не Робредо,а Марата...
А в Париже вообще Марата очень любят!Помню в прошлом году в том матче протов Старачо (или как там того итальянца зовут), зрители тоже Марата поддерживали,как своего.Это единственное,чем можно себя утешить
GIA Не заметила если честно я суперские удары и розыгрыши. Одного слева по линии сто лет ждали! Слава Богу, что хоть получился вообще... Да и в последнем сете зарабатывал Марат очки в основном на ошибках Робредо или с хорошей подачи, что случалось не часто... Остается ведь общее впечателние от игры, а не пара хороших ударов к сожалению
и я особенно хороших удоров не помню....вот полинии и ещё один был классный розыгрыш в пятой партии,который,к сожалению,ничего не решил....Самое обидное,что в данный момент на корте играет Маша по тому же принципу.Всё сильно,но по центру.А про тактику,которая приносит успех,впрочем как и Марат,она забыла!Тревожно за Машу как то...
не знаю,сколько там было хороших розыгрышей,но судя по рез-ту ошибок было больше,а утешать себя один-двумя классными ударами не стоит. Короче, в сравнении с АО-это полный капец.:((( Мне больше всего жаль,что имея такую классную сетку,он не смог пройти этого несчастного Робредо (а должен был,как минимум, в полуфинале оказаться).Блин, в его ж половине ни Федерера,ни Надаля,Кории с Налбом уже не было:выигрывай-не хочу. Да,конечно,на стадии четвертьфиналов все игроки сильны,но Коля и Каньяс-это всё-таки не первая ракетка мира,и не супер-талантливый Надаль,с такой мотивацией и настроем на каждую игру и мяч,что даже Хью обзавидовался бы.Всё было в его руках,а он....А Марат не молодеет,на следующем РГ ему уже 26 будет.РГ выигрывают в основном молодые игроки, возрастным тяжелее даётся игра на грунте: Пит так и не смог выиграть РГ, Агасси сделал это уже давно, Гаудио,ХКФ,Гуга-все были довольно молодыми. Обидно вобщем...до слёз.
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Неужели настолько уверен в победе?
Единственное приятное воспоминание с сегодняшнегго матча это его джентельменский поступок в виде подарка мяча и как Марика поддерживала публика,не Робредо,а Марата...
Да,конечно,на стадии четвертьфиналов все игроки сильны,но Коля и Каньяс-это всё-таки не первая ракетка мира,и не супер-талантливый Надаль,с такой мотивацией и настроем на каждую игру и мяч,что даже Хью обзавидовался бы.Всё было в его руках,а он....А Марат не молодеет,на следующем РГ ему уже 26 будет.РГ выигрывают в основном молодые игроки, возрастным тяжелее даётся игра на грунте: Пит так и не смог выиграть РГ, Агасси сделал это уже давно, Гаудио,ХКФ,Гуга-все были довольно молодыми. Обидно вобщем...до слёз. 
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