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Sunday, June 27, 2004
Wimbledon Third Round
By Wimbledon Official Site
R. FEDERER/T. Johansson 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Roger Federer Interview
THE MODERATOR: First question for Roger, please. Q.
Three matches, unbroken, very tough opponent today. Without having 130
miles an hour crushing serve, are you demonstrating that it's possible
to win here with a very finally located first and second serve rather
than just standing back there and hitting 130, 140 miles an hour? ROGER FEDERER: I cannot, otherwise I would like to break that 130, 135 barrier, but I cannot. So I have to do it differently. For
this I need to play well from the baseline. I have to serve
consistently. That's exactly what I did today. So I'm very pleased
because today's opponent was much more dangerous and much more
difficult to play against than the other two, which is obvious. This is
why I'm, you know, happy to have really won in straight sets because it
wasn't that easy. Q. Can you say just how accurately you're serving right now? ROGER
FEDERER: Yeah, I'm feeling well also. I think, you know, I felt it also
and you saw it in the end of the third when he had, you know, a few
breakpoints. The way I got out of that one, you know, I got a lot of
first serves in. I feel like, you know, the more comfortable I win my
serves, the more I can take risks also on the second serve. This is
then when I really start to play well. Q. What did you think of the atmosphere out there today? ROGER
FEDERER: Different. You know, it's nice. I think the people were just
really happy to see some tennis, you know. I mean, it was a great crowd
out there. Yeah, it was big fun. Q. Is it possible to compare the speed and condition of the courts between this year and last year? ROGER
FEDERER: Well, to me it seems similar really. I've heard there's been
much talk about it. But I've played on Centre and Court 1 now. To me
they seem very similar to last year. Q. Pat Cash writing in
his column today said that you were the most complete player he'd seen
since Pete Sampras, but he was scrapping around for something to say
that was a criticism, and he identified your backhand slice as your
weak shot. Would you say that's a fair comment or would you say you're
playing the most complete game you possibly could? ROGER FEDERER: Hmm. We're going the wrong direction here. He said some things already in Australia. We don't have to come back, you know, what Pat Cash
says about me. If he gives me compliments, that's okay. If he doesn't
say something that nice, that's okay, too. I don't take it seriously. Q.
Could be Karlovic in the next round. On grass, what does a serve look
like coming out of the heavens from a guy 6' 10", whatever he is? ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I've never faced somebody so tall. I faced Rosset, but that's small compared. I almost played him in Indian Wells, but he lost 7‑6 in the third, surprise, to Pavel.
If I play him, it will be interesting to see, you know, because
everybody's talking about that big serve, you know, that's unbelievably
accurate, very consistent serve. I would like to face it and see how I
can, you know, kind of play with it. You know, it's going to be
tough. Puts a lot of pressure on your own serve, but I think I can
handle it. I'm used to that. But we'll see how big that serve is. Q. Might also be Lopez. He won the third set. ROGER FEDERER: He did? Changing quickly here then (smiling). Okay, let's concentrate on Lopez. Q. You played him in the fourth round last year. Was that sort of the breakthrough match for you in last year's tournament? ROGER
FEDERER: Well, I mean, the match with him was very, you know, strange
because I hurt my back. I really didn't play at a hundred percent. I
would say I got really lucky that day. I really just tried, you know,
to play as well as I could under the circumstances. You know,
he should have really won that first set. I think if he does win that
first set, then it might look very different because then I start to
doubt also, yeah, I get a little bit too down on myself. But, you know,
in a way, I don't know why I won that first set, but got me going. I
had some pain killers, had some massage on my back, and suddenly I
started to feel much better. In the end, I could almost play normal
again, which is very strange, because in the beginning I could hardly
move. I mean, the breakthrough for me was more of the Schalken match, to get to the semis for the first time in a Grand Slam. So not really the Lopez match anyway. Q.
When you're going through a Grand Slam like this, do you become
insulated because you just want to focus on your game that you don't
have time to even look at the paper and say, "That's interesting, Andy
is through to the next round" or, "So‑and‑so is through to the next
round"? Do you have time in your life during a Grand Slam to reflect as
a fan might about who's winning and who's not winning in the draw? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think especially during Grand Slams,
you have more time. You know, you always have a day off. You have a lot
of time actually to watch TV like a fan, you know. I watch a lot of
tennis matches when I'm not playing. I really enjoy that. You know,
don't read too much about what's written about me. But if there is a
paper, I also open it and read it. I'm interested in what's
going on, what the people write, what the people think. I think it's
important because if I just don't care, you know, might as well not
answer any questions here. Q. How close an eye are you keeping on Andy's progress? ROGER
FEDERER: Well, he's so far away in the draw, you know, if I see him
winning, you know, I'm not surprised. If I would see him lose, then I
would be surprised. But I always keep watching a little bit of
his matches because, you know, he's No. 2 in the world. I have to kind
of also look at his game, how well he's playing, because we haven't
seen each other very much in the clay court season because both either,
you know, lost or played different times or whatever. But here I'm checking him out more than maybe other tournaments. Q.
How do you compare your play from now to this time last year, your play
and also your mental attitude, given you're defending champion? Are you
looking for a game like Schalken to really test you, to get you going
this year? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I thought today was a tough
match, you know, and a real test. The first two, they were result‑wise
too easy. The third set was more of a, you know, wash‑out. So I would
say this was a really tough match for me. I really had to focus hard
because he was serving well. You know, if I get broken maybe
once or twice or three times in the match, then I can lose this match,
or it could turn out a different way. Looking forward. I think this is
a good match for the fourth round. Q. Do you feel confident compared to this time last year, do you go out expecting to win? ROGER FEDERER: It's a little bit different. You know, last year Andy and Lleyton were more of the favorites. Of course, Lleyton lost in the first round, so all the talk was about Andy. Now it's more about me and Andy. So it does change a little bit. I
am very ‑‑ you know, I'm feeling very good this year, definitely better
than last year, because I know I already won this tournament. So I know
anyway I can do it again. But also, you know, the results so far have
been really good. I don't know if I'm going to play tomorrow again. But
for me it's not a problem because I've had, you know, rather short
matches, which is good. Q. How different does it feel being
here as the champion, whereas this time last year you were just one of
the favorites? I mean are all eyes on you now? Do you feel extra
pressure, responsibilities? ROGER FEDERER: More in the very
beginning of the tournament, you know, leading up to the tournament, I
thought this is a different feeling I have about this tournament
suddenly. It's not the same. Like all the years I've been coming back,
it's just got something else, when you come back as the defending
champion to a Grand Slam. You have a lot of points which you
can lose, you know, a lot of talk there is about you. If you win or
lose, especially if you lose, there is people write a lot. And this is sometimes can be difficult. But I have to say I prefer this position now because, you know, I already won a Grand Slam last year. I haven't won any. That was getting tough on my mind.
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