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Monday, 17 January, 2005
Australian Open First Round
By ASAP Sports
R. FEDERER/F. Santoro 6-1, 6-1, 6-2
An interview with: ROGER FEDERER
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How would you sum that up? ROGER
FEDERER: Well, it was good, good start. I think the start of the match
was important for me, you know. That set the tone for the rest. And
never really gave him a chance to get back into the match. So best
of five, an easy three setter sometimes they look very, very easy, but
I always had the feeling I still had to play some good points to win
them, especially against him. He gets back a lot of balls. But I'm
happy with my performance, and that's what counts in the end. Q. Do you think you're an even better player than you were at this time last year? ROGER
FEDERER: I had the feeling I was playing also very good at the
beginning of the Australian Open last year. So I think about the same. Q.
Fabrice is a very different player to most players. Is that the kind of
game where you get to try out some things you don't necessarily get to
hit against other players? ROGER FEDERER: No, I play the way I have
to to win. I'm not testing out anything against him. It's a tournament
which means very much to me. In practice, I can try some things if I
want to do that, but not in the match. Against Fabrice I always tend
to come in a lot, you know, to make him hit the pass and not me. That
has been working in the past. Q. At one stage you appeared between shots to be practicing your defensive cricket shot. Was that the case? ROGER FEDERER: That was the case, yeah. I got a good technique then. You saw that (smiling). Q. Will you take in any cricket while you're here and do you know any of the Australian players? ROGER
FEDERER: I haven't actually ever played, you know, but more for fun
with a racquet, never really with a bat. I don't know, get a few nice
balls from some players, some real cricket players, that would be fun
to see how it is for a change. Q. The shot you played looked like a left handed... ROGER
FEDERER: Was it? I can play both sides. I have to see which one is my
side. I'm not sure, actually. Baseball I play it here (smiling).
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