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Saturday, November 15, 2003
Masters Cup Houston Semifinal
By ASAP Sports
R. FEDERER/A. Roddick 7-6 (7-2), 6-2
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.
Q. Is that a case of getting better round by round this week?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I definitely think this has been my best match so
far. I was solid from beginning to start (sic), you know.
But, again, it was a totally different match than I've played in the
past. I played all against great returners. Today I played a great
server, so the match totally changes. It's difficult to say which one
has been my best match, in a way.
Q. The whole week went so good. I mean, you didn't have one match where it was not going your way.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, the week is not over. So the week has been okay till now, yes.
But, still, tomorrow is the biggest one of all, I guess. So I'm really
looking forward. I'm happy with my performance this whole week until
now.
But it's not over yet. So I still have to play one big match.
Q. How much is the No. 2 ranking driving you on?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think that's -- at least, you know, I'm playing
for something. I'm not stuck at No. 3 or stuck at any ranking. I still
have room to improve. And that's nice, you know, to just add an extra
motivation.
But just in general, to be at the Masters Cup, you know, motivates me a
lot. Now I've come one step further than last year in Shanghai, and
I've got a chance to win this tournament. So I'm very motivated.
Q. Could you sense that Andy just didn't have much energy today; even
though he was able to get to the tiebreaker, that he was pretty much
done?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, he, you know...
That's
not his own fault, but he went through some tough matches, you know, in
these Round Robin matches, where I only had basically one very
difficult one, was my condition, you know.
So I don't know how tired he was, you know, but I played good tennis. That's what counts for me.
Q. Can that be particularly dangerous when in a final you've got to play somebody you've already beaten in the Round Robin?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I've never experienced it, so I don't know how it's gonna be.
But I think both players took something out of that match and are gonna try to do it better in tomorrow's final.
So I think that's the interesting part. We just played a few days ago.
To play again, it's kind of a strange feeling. But that's also
sometimes you get that in ATP events but, you know, not against such
good players maybe.
Q. What do you think is better - having four three-set matches going
into a five-set final, or not having played at all, versus going with
relatively easy matches, versus not having played all fall and having
had four really tough matches? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I prefer my
position by far, you know. I prefer to be mentally and physically fit,
you know. I don't know how Andre is doing, you know, but he had to work
really hard to get to that final. I think that's more an advantage than
a disadvantage.
Q. Tomorrow's final is three-out-of-five. Do you have a certain strategy more than two-out-of-three?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think it's gonna be different just because it's a best-of-five, not a best-of-three.
So I still believe it's gonna be intense, you know, because he's gonna
make you work, you know. It's just a matter of being ready, you know,
to do the work. You know, the last match of my year, so I'm gonna give
everything I have, you know.
I cannot tell you how intense it's gonna be, but there is gonna be just
a little bit of a difference, you know, just in the approach, I guess,
from my and from his side.
Q. This week you've beaten the year's three other Grand Slam winners. Does that add to the satisfaction at all?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I didn't think about that, you know. It's always
nice, you know, to beat such top players. I think I had quite a bad
record, you know, against Top 10ers this year coming into the Masters.
Now to have polished that up, it's a nice feeling.
Q. How is your level right how compared to Wimbledon?
ROGER FEDERER: Wimbledon's a different tournament, you know (smiling).
It's not much rallying going on. There's a lot of instinct and that's,
you know -- I have to forget that tournament, you know, and put it to
the side, just remember the good things about it, you know.
Hard court, clay court, it's just different, you know. You have to
fight much more; you have to -- it's much more physical, you know. So I
cannot compare my performance today against Andy like it was in the
semis in Wimbledon.
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