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June 27, 2001
Wimbledon Second Round
By ASAP Sports
R. FEDERER/X. Malisse
6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. It looked like you were on your way for an easy win in three sets. What happened?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, first of all, I think to win the
first set I was a little lucky because I saved a lot of breakpoints - I
don't know how many, but I know it was a lot. He had the chance to win
the second set. I was up two sets to love. I was still not happy with
my game, even though I was leading two sets to love. I will tell you
the same, everyone thought I would have won in three sets, because I'm
not happy with my game because I think I can play much better than I
did today. In the end, it was a battle. I just fought my way out.
Q. Were you not happy with your game only today?
ROGER FEDERER: No, today. I served pretty well, the first two
sets actually, to get over these breakpoints I had against me the whole
time. But otherwise I missed a lot of volleys, easy shots that I
normally don't miss. I was not happy with my game, kind of irritated
all match long. I don't know why. Maybe a little bit pressure. I don't
know.
Q. You're in the third round now. What can you do about it?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I'm very happy to be through because I
felt terrible when I was down a break in the fifth. I was scared, yeah,
I mean, you can say that because The Championships is almost over. I'm
really happy to give myself a chance now in the third round. I don't
know, looks like it's going to be Bjorkman. It's going to be tough.
First of all, I have to take it a little bit easy now and get massage.
Q. Will you work on something specific before the next match?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I don't know. Maybe on my serve-and-volley
game, volley a little bit. Otherwise, I mean, I fell this morning -- I
fell against Rochus once. I hurt my adductor. I don't know how you say.
Then it was okay this morning. It happened again the same thing at the
end of the practise. It came back again. I just need a little bit
treatment there. Otherwise, I'm fine actually.
Q. Your first win. Looks like during the match he found a way to
return very well your serve. Do you think it's a problem of yours to
find a new variety, you have to change, mix up a little bit more, or
what?
ROGER FEDERER: I felt like I always didn't go concentrated into
my service games. He was always up like Love-15, sometimes Love-30. I
found myself often as 15-40 saving breakpoints. In the first two sets,
I really thought I was serving well. I came up with the serves, with
the aces, when I had to. That really didn't happen anymore. I mean, of
course, the wind came, so the toss was going a little bit everywhere. I
mean, I tried to vary my serve, I tried to kick it, slice it into the
body, out wide. I tried everything. He was giving himself some time by
standing back a little bit. I just couldn't get my serve right. My
volleys after the serve were not great, so he always had a chance to
pass.
Q. Was it a problem of wind?
ROGER FEDERER: Definitely in the third and fourth set. There I
really felt terrible from the baseline. I couldn't return his serve
anymore. He started to serve better. I started to get worried, a little
bit panic reaction. I was going for too much. In the beginning, I was
just waiting to let him do the mistakes. Then it was me doing all the
mistakes, so...
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