|
October 17, 2003
Madrid TMS Quarterfinal
By ASAP Sports
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
R. FEDERER/F. Lopez
4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Roger.
Q. Was that closer than you might have preferred?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, if I could choose, I'd always choose an
easy match, obviously. But there's not much I could do, you know. I
played the one bad game, you know, with the two double-faults. Yeah, I
didn't -- actually I didn't play the right way, even though I knew how
he was going to play. But we only played one time. I was injured, and
it was on grass. You know, not too much I could take out of that match.
I just hung in there. I could have lost in straight sets also, 6-4,
6-4. I was down Love-40 in the second. I really battled hard tonight. I
gave everything I had.
Q. You played against Feliciano at Wimbledon. After your game at Wimbledon, do you think that he has improved?
ROGER FEDERER: It's very difficult. I don't want to judge too
much the Wimbledon performance from him or from me, because it was very
difficult for him. I was not playing injured, I was injured, you know.
That made the whole game totally different, you know. Hard court, you
know, he definitely maybe moves better - everybody does. It's a totally
different game. Here, the ball flies. It's very difficult to control. I
was not knowing where he's going to serve in the beginning, until the
second, third set. I think, you know, and the ranking shows, he's been
playing well since the US Open or since Wimbledon actually. I'm happy
for him.
Q. Although it was a very tough match today, do you still feel
that you're getting more used to the conditions and you're improving
tennis-wise?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, difficult to say after such a match. You
know, he plays so different than all the other players: lefty, slices
the ball all the time, got a big first serve. I don't know, it's just
really strange, you know, to play him. I guess I cannot take too much
out of this one for tomorrow.
Q. What are you thinking about the world No. 1? Are you not noticing it because it's changing every day?
ROGER FEDERER: I knew this is a big match for me today. So is
it tomorrow - even bigger. You always got to concentrate on the match
you're playing right now. I cannot look too far ahead. Yeah, tomorrow's
very big, you know, because I'm playing a guy who is in contention, as
well. I have no idea, you know, how it is for one of us. I just hope I
can play good tomorrow and beat him.
Q. You played a tough match against Hewitt in Australia, Davis
Cup. Now Spain is going to Australia. What do you expect for the
Spaniards in the Davis Cup final on the grass?
ROGER FEDERER: I think they have definitely an outside chance.
I would even make the match 50/50, you know, because Hewitt didn't play
too well on the grass this year. He won Wimbledon the year before. You
never know. I don't know how he's doing physically, because he had some
operation on his toe. So I don't know. Philippoussis, he proved it this
year, he can play well on grass. But also he got lucky against a guy
who's playing from the baseline, against Popp. I think Spain definitely
has their chance, because we were already very close.
Q. Normally indoors the conditions favor you a little bit more
than Juan Carlos. Have you been watching him this week? What do you
think of the way he's been playing?
ROGER FEDERER: I've seen a little bit, first of all. I always
feel that Juan Carlos starts to play better as the tournament goes on,
you know. That's why I was actually happy to play him first match at
The Masters last year. I just see it, you know, he's struggling,
shanking a lot of balls. He doesn't feel the ball yet. We saw it today,
he wasn't missing too much. But he knows I will play aggressive. If he
plays a short ball, I'll come in on it. Maybe he's a little tentative.
I just have to make sure I serve well. I beat him also on clay, you
know, but he was a little injured. But also there I played a good match
against him, and aggressive.
|
