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November 16, 2002
Masters Cup Shanghai Semifinal
By Masters Cup Official Site
R. FEDERER/L. Hewitt 5-7, 7-5, 5-7
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
QUESTION: If you could change something in that
match, what would it be? ROGER FEDERER: Sitting here as a winner.
QUESTION: How? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, yeah. That's also what I'm wondering. It
was so tight. Such a tight and tough match today. So I'm very
disappointed to have lost this match and to have missed my chance
of winning the title here, but I'm satisfied with my performance
here in the round robin was good and today I gave it all I had
and it's just unfortunate and very disappointed, but also on the
one side, I'm happy to hear it's over because has been very long
for me.
QUESTION: Today was bad luck, but you advanced to the semifinal
at your first Masters Cup. So is it a stepping stone for you,
big experience for you? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, definitely a step forward. It was
a great experience for me to live through this Masters Cup event
and I'm pleasantly surprised by the event. It's been unbelievable
organisation. I enjoyed the city and the people here were very
nice to me, so it was a great week for me and I will always remember
this. It's probably my most favourite week after I was at Wimbledon
and the Olympics I experience in Sydney, so this is something
nice I have lived through.
QUESTION: Lleyton doesn't have a huge serve, he doesn't rip winners
off his ground strokes, he's not a particularly creative volleyer.
Can you describe what it is about him or his game that makes him
the most difficult player to beat in the world? ROGER FEDERER: Well, definitely runs down the most balls on court
maybe next to maybe few guys like Grosjean and fast guys, you
know, maybe Ferrero, I don't know, I haven't played him enough,
but is just incredible sometimes what he gets back and makes you
play another shot and he definitely is one of the best returners.
Maybe he's not returning very aggressive, but it's just, I think,
for example, Agassi and Marat Safin have better returns, but it's
just, you know, my opinion, even maybe for a serve and volleyer,
really, a true serve and volleyer, Lleyton is the worst to play
because he's going to bring back more returns than the other two
guys. So is just very tough and he moves very well and he seems
like he's never tired and it's just unbelievable talent he has
and should be very happy about that.
QUESTION: You played a wonderful game tonight and Lleyton said
you will get a Grand Slam in future because you have so many features
in your technology and you are still young, but he said you should
keep your condition more stable because sometimes you play good
and sometimes you play bad. So how do you think about that? ROGER FEDERER: I don't really ?? not in a bad way, but I don't
really care about what he says. Same as other players say about
me, what I say about other guys shouldn't really bother the other
guys. I know really what I have to do and why I miss shots. I
also ?? and he knows best why he misses his shots, so we have
to clean up in our own boat or house or whatever. But I know what
I have to work on and, for me, with my game, it just needs more
time and to work hard and until my whatever, my mental, my technique,
whatever, is right in place and I think one day if I think everything
is in place, I will have a chance to win Grand Slams and I think
it's just because he's so strong mentally and physically, he can
do this much earlier.
QUESTION: Towards the end of the third set, you double faulted.
Was it because of physical or was it mental? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, for the serve, you don't really need
a good condition, really. I mean, you can serve all day. So I
think we both double faulted just because the whole drama and
the whole excitement of the match and it just happens, you know.
Today was very strange match, I think, for both, I think, I don't
know if he ever experience such an up and down, same for me, so
?? but just he had the better outcome, but with the serve, I mean
...
QUESTION: What is the difference between yourself and Hewitt's
game? ROGER FEDERER: Well, we have absolutely totally different game
and so you never really know the outcome, which I think is very
interesting when we play each other.
QUESTION: You spoke about Lleyton's legs and returns shots, but
when you're serving against him for a set point, for example,
do you feel more pressure against him than against any other player
because of his will or not? ROGER FEDERER: Well, first of all, I don't think you feel too
much pressure when you have a set point, doesn't matter against
whom, but it's more when you are facing break points than when
you have a set point or a game points. But against good return
players, it's just very important that you make your first serve
on these points and hopefully not a great return comes back and
you can attack him right away, at least with my game that's how
it works, but it's just very tough, you know, and he makes you
think because he's going to run down more balls than the other
guys and if everybody would run as well as him, would be different
story. I would have more ?? how do you say, but like this, you
know, it's once every ?? when we're playing three times a year,
don't get the chance very often.
QUESTION: You made a switch of racket. Your racket is selling
very well in China. What made you switch from the older model
to this present model? ROGER FEDERER: Well, first of all, I'm very happy that it sells
and that the people here like me in China, of course, and I've
played with all my life and it's nice that ?? it's not a payback
for me, but to the factory, because they're doing a good job,
and the company. Why I made the change? I just felt like on the
bad day, maybe also on the outdoors when it's windy or on the
clay courts when it's bad bounces, I was shanking too many balls,
so means I was hitting too many balls with the frame and so I
just thought I need a bigger head and for this I needed to change
and the switch came in in Rome. QUESTION: Yesterday I met an official of the ATP. He told me that
he like you because he likes your mother ?? good mother, good
son. How do you think of that and does your mother come with you? ROGER FEDERER: She's here with me, yes, so obviously. But she
comes to maybe one tournament a year. Well, the Swiss ones obviously
she comes and watches, but the other ones like, you know, she
maybe comes to the French Open or Wimbledon, depends if she has
time. But I don't really want to travel too much with my parents
just because I think they have their own job, first of all, and
I have a good group around me and anyway I feel maybe too much
pressure travelling with too big a group but, I mean, they support
me great and of course I love my parents. So I think it's something
very important.
QUESTION: If I remember right, two days ago you said you still
felt far away from winning the title. I just wonder whether you
think about that question before, before your showdown against
Hewitt or do you think of the question during the match or now
how do you feel? Do you still feel far away or is it two steps
away from winning the title? ROGER FEDERER: Right now I'm very, very far away because I'm out,
but this is just ?? I just said far away because I have to win
a tournament, I have to beat two very good players and that's
what I meant with it and I knew I was playing well, but I think
really I mean, these days, especially against the guys I played
here, you have to take it step by step and I would have came a
giant step closer if I would have won today, but still not ??
how do you say ?? sure that I would win tomorrow because tomorrow
is a tough opponent waiting for Lleyton now and he could come
out strong to win tomorrow.
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