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October 18, 2003
Madrid TMS Semifinal
By ASAP Sports
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
R. FEDERER/J.C. Ferrero 4-6, 6-4, 4-6
THE MODERATOR: Questions for Roger.
Q. Was it a question of you playing not well enough or Juan Carlos playing too well today?
ROGER FEDERER: I think, you know, I wasn't too happy with my
game. A few moments it was all right, but it was a little bit too much
up and down. You know, I took chances on my serves and double-faulted.
You know, that shouldn't happen. I put myself in difficulties myself.
He wasn't really controlling the match, I was. So it's hard to say for
me how well he played because I was the one who was taking chances.
Q. You seemed to have trouble attacking his serve. Did he improve his serve very much in the last year?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I thought I was returning, you know,
horrible - in the first set especially. Maybe, you know, he has
improved his serve. I don't know. I don't play him enough. But for a
smaller guy, he's definitely serving not bad. But it's nothing like a
monster serve. I had the feeling I was just struggling with the rhythm,
you know, to read serves. I've been playing Lopez yesterday, Fish
before, who was just serving huge. I never got the rhythm on the
return, even though I beat them. The first round for me against
Corretja, it was important that I didn't give him rhythm. I never
really got my own rhythm until the semis and today. In the first set, I
had to pay the price for that. After, it got better and I also served
well, but it was just not consistent enough throughout three sets.
Q. You were talking about consistency. I think most of us think
that when you are at the top of your form, you're the best player.
What's the problem in terms of getting that best form on a consistent
basis?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think I've been playing consistently
this whole year. You know, this is really something I had to work on
three years ago, just that I can keep it up mentally two, three, four
weeks in a row. This I couldn't do because my mental part went away,
then also physically I wasn't in the mood or I was just too tired. All
this I have improved a lot. You know, I'm not surprised it happened
because, as I always told you all, I never got the rhythm here in
Madrid. I still made it to the semis. So for me it's actually quite a
good week, you know. In the end, to lose against a big rival for No. 1,
you know, that's quite disappointing. I have to go from here.
Q. How do you feel, considering you still have to play two more weeks in a row?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I'm rather tired, you know. I'm also just
human. But, you know, there is a motivation for me, extra in Basel to
play at home. We'll see. I really can't tell right now. I'm pretty
tired. I have to get some rest. I'm going to play Tuesday. We'll see
what happens.
Q. How are you going to make that mental recovery, and physical, obviously, for Basel?
ROGER FEDERER: The same like I did here. Even though this is
now the second, following into the third week, physically I'm okay.
Obviously, some parts of my body hurt because of the hard courts, which
is normal. For me, it's just important that I get back to Basel
quickly. Check with the flights. It's going to be busy over there
because it's my hometown, all the people want stuff from me. At the
same time, I've got to play. We'll see.
Q. Is No. 1 a goal for next year or are you still looking for it during these weeks?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know what it takes. This is why I think
this match hurts me, you know, because I know he's taking an edge on me
for the year end. But I said for me No. 1 in the world at the end of
the year, I don't know how close I am. For me it was just important to
play a good indoor season, then see if I have a chance at The Masters.
That's what I'm doing. I'm very happy to have started well in the
indoor season with a win in Vienna and the semis here. I'm happy. I'll
just try again to play well in Basel, like I did the last three years,
and then Paris I want to do better than the last few years. There I
think there is more potential.
Q. When Sampras was at the top of his game, he became a
different sort of person in these weeks. He became uncommunicative. He
admits he didn't really like himself. Are you happy in the situation at
the moment or does it get to you a little bit, with all the tiredness,
the No. 1 thing?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the No. 1 thing, it's not on my mind like
it was in the summer when I was really, really close. I said in the
beginning of the indoor season, and I still feel the same way, I'm very
relaxed actually. I think this comes with experience. You know, as I
said, I'm tougher physically and mentally. I'm not caught up in this
race, you know, like last year for Shanghai. I'm going out there pretty
relaxed. I prefer it this way (smiling).
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