Friday, August 8, 2003

Montreal TMS Quarterfinal

By Tennis Masters Canada Official Site

An interview with: ROGER FEDERER

R. FEDERER/M. Mirnyi 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)

Tour Official: Open it up for questions, please.

Reporter: Roger, how was that kind of success on your birthday, how does that feel?

Roger Federer: Very nice, you know, I don't remember playing a lot of matches on my birthday, anyway. I remember one time I won a Challengers doubles, you know, that was a few years ago. So I don't remember the last time I played a match on my birthday. So it's nice. Especially against a good friend, such a nice centre court and front of such a nice crowd, it was really nice.

Reporter: Roger, how do you find your form, pretty sharp?

Roger Federer: Yeah, I'm very happy the way I played today. Good serving, good attitude, you know, and obviously, it's a good day if you don't save breakpoints.

Reporter: Was there a distraction of the crowd singing in the match? Possibility of losing your concentration?

Roger Federer: What do you say?

Reporter: Well, singing Happy Birthday during the middle of the match.

Roger Federer: That's okay. If you can't handle that, don't go out there.
[LAUGHTER]
You always wonder, you know, what you're going to bring out of the match, but it's just important that you enjoy that moment, also, but then you're back to business, really, which sounds a little bit raw, you know, but you have to. I think, the crowd doesn't want you to not be focused after they sing Happy Birthday. I really get my form all the way through the match.

Reporter: Andy Roddick or Karol Kucera, how do you watch up against both those guys?

Roger Federer: Against Roddick I'm 4-0, I think. Against Kucera, 2-1, maybe, I don't know.

Reporter: 3-1.

Roger Federer: 3-1, all right. Tough players, both of them, but I have a better record. So I think I'm going to feel good going into that match.

Reporter: If it is Roddick, is this what we're going to be seeing tournament to tournament to tournament, you two guys meeting somewhere along the line?

Roger Federer: There's too many guys around, still. It will be nice. We're not going to meet in the first or second round, that's for sure, because we're both good seeds. The earliest we play is the quarterfinals. I think it's always a good match up for the people. I think we also enjoy playing against each other. Obviously me maybe a bit more because I walked off as the winner every time, but that doesn't mean that next time will be like that.

Reporter: Roger, you've had such a great year so far with Wimbledon, and then Gstaad, they gave you that cow, what was your reaction to getting presented with a cow on court like that?

Roger Federer: Well, you know, I thought it was -- they organized some sort of welcome, you know, on centre court. I had no idea what's going on. Basically, I just walked out there and saluted the crowd, you know, and thought I was maybe just going to say a few words and walk off again and suddenly there she comes, you know.
[LAUGHTER]
And the tournament, they thought I knew, but I didn't. So it was a big surprise.

Reporter: What are you doing with the cow now?

Roger Federer: She's up in the Alps, where she belongs.

Reporter: Is it better to get a cake after a match or a cow?

Roger Federer: As long as the people really mean the present, the most important. It doesn't really matter what the present is.

Reporter: In the second set, I saw a little bit tired on your return of service not at your best in the second set.

Roger Federer: Yeah, I mean, he changed it up all the time, you know. And it's true. I didn't feel as good in the second set on his second serve. I mean, he sort of hits very close to the lines so it gives you a little bit of temptation, am I going to play more safe or hit through. That's what happened. And so I was getting a little worried, you know, in the tie breaker because he got more into the match, you know, as I missed my chances. Anyway, I felt somehow confident in the tie breaker, because every time we played one, I think I won one.

Reporter: Roger, are you pretty comfortable on the courts now after four matches?

Roger Federer: Yeah, I feel good. Like I said a few times now, my game got better now over the last few matches. And really helped me with my serve and I'm looking forward to the semifinal.

Reporter: Could you have played better in the first set? You had 15 winners, one unforced errors.

Roger Federer: Sounds good, yes. I mean, I felt good right away after I broke him. I think I guess at 15-love was very important that forehand winner I hit. Then I got confident and he has to take chances and I've played him a few times and I know a little bit obviously how to play him, how to pass him and what he doesn't like. But he puts you under pressure. The winner is not so difficult to make -- there were more errors against him, because he puts you under pressure all the time and makes you hit a winner. I was just picking the right time, really. The winner just goes up on the board.

Reporter: Roger, in Toronto last year you said that the heat and humidity here in North America made you feel dizzy and headaches and that you reacted badly to it. How is it going this year and have you done anything different to prepare for the conditions?

Roger Federer: No, I don't know if you can train that, you know. I guess I would have to go and live here or in Miami or something. This week hasn't been so hot, except maybe the Tuesday, when I played. So it's just, I think, a matter of getting used to it and just, you know, keeping some ice on your head or, you know, drink a lot. Headaches, they just come, you can do nothing about it, with me, anyway, I don't know how it is for other players.

Reporter: Roger, there was one amazing rally, I don't know if you remember it, where you did four retrieves and then ran the length of the court twice. How long does it take you to recover after that, a matter of a second or longer?

Roger Federer: Somehow it went quite quick, maybe two points we just had a high pulse, you know, but it wasn't like that long, long rally, you know, just back and forth and it was more like three sprints and that was it, you know. So recovered quick on that one, it was a nice point.

Reporter: Two points to recover.

Roger Federer: Yeah.

Tour Official: Final question, please.

Tour Official: Thanks, Roger.

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