Sunday, July 3, 2005

Wimbledon Final

By ASAP Sports

R. FEDERER/A. Roddick 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-4

An interview with: ROGER FEDERER

Q. You're only 23 years old. Do you feel now if you stay fit and healthy that you can eclipse the records of Borg and Sampras here at the All England Club?

ROGER FEDERER: I feel like I put myself into position. This was very, very big tournament and match for me today. Obviously to get the fifth one, fifth Grand Slam, but also the third Wimbledon. I knew the importance of this one, so I was pretty tense going into it. After the first set, I really started to feel so good, you know, that I got so confidence. Obviously, for the next few years I'll definitely be a huge favorite also for this tournament. Doesn't mean necessarily I'll take them all.

Q. Andy said he hopes you get bored now so you can give him a chance. That is likely to happen?

ROGER FEDERER: It's hard for him, you know, because I really played a fantastic match - one of my best in my life. Again, you know, the biggest, most important moment, you know, in a Grand Slam final, and I would consider this even bigger than the US Open final I played, so this is my best match maybe I've ever played. I won't get bored so quickly, so I'm sorry.

Q. Where does it rank for you in the three? You cried the first, you cried this time, but not the second one.

ROGER FEDERER: I did then, too. I cried the second one, too, for sure (smiling). Somehow -- well, the second one was a huge relief. The first one is the first one. Obviously, the second one was like some huge relief. I really had to fight really hard to get through. In the end, you know, I'm just like, "Wow, you know, how did I come back into this match?" And today, it seemed like I was playing flawless. Everything was working. In a way, I think this one will actually take me longer to realize. I remember during the match and during the rain delay, and then when I came back, I never really felt like I'm actually playing. It's like I'm not living this correctly. So, I don't know, it's a very strange feeling I have. It's probably going to take me days, months, weeks, years, I don't know, to realize this one, so...

Q. It's not your responsibility if your opponents don't turn up on the court and give you a hard time, but would you like them to push you a bit more?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I feel they push me. That's all there is sometimes. I played such good tennis I thought today that I didn't allow him to come into the match. I just need to play just a little bit less good, and right away the match is totally different. I think all of them are trying as hard as they can. But it has worked. You know, you look at the Australian Open, you look at the French Open. It worked to beat me. Now, again, I'm very happy that semis and finals I didn't lose a set. That's fantastic. But most important of all is now the Wimbledon, because this is what means most to me.

Q. What was going through your mind when you knew you'd won? You collapsed on the floor, rolled around. What kind of emotions were running through your mind there?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, everything sort of started when I -- let me think. 4-3, I was serving. I just broke, I think. I started to feel like, "Wow, eight more points on my serve and I'm all right." I started to really shake my head, like, "I'm so close again, you know. It's all in my power now. There's no more really Andy can do, except if I mess up here." Then I held and I was sort of calm. He held easily, too. Then when I started to serve for the match, I mean, obviously the first point was big, was an ace. I really got nervous, you know, just hoping to make the first serve. Missed it, okay. Hit an ace on the second serve because he took the wrong side. I felt my arm shaking, and I was just like, after he came back to 30-15, I was like, "Why now? 30-15? I want 40-Love here." I was really getting nervous. I just tried to hit it as hard as I could at 40-15, you know. Obviously once it all happens, you don't know the reaction. And I think at 4-3 I started to think, "How will it be with the trophy? How will it be my reaction? How is this? How is that?" I'm like, "No, no, no, no, we're not there yet." I always have to calm myself down. Once it all happens, you don't know what happens. It's really strange.

Q. You're admitting you do get nervous. Visually it looks like a day in the park for you.

ROGER FEDERER: Oh, yeah. Heart rate starts going up.

Q. You don't show it.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, then I guess I don't show it. It's good, poker face.

Q. What is the key to going out and playing at the level you play so consistently? A lot of players have talent, but they go out and blow up, have a bad day. Why do you feel you can play at the level you do so regularly?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, maybe I lost too many matches which I should have won when I was younger, you know. So now it's turned around for me. Now I'm winning matches I maybe should lose sometimes. I can't answer, you know, how consistent I'm playing. I amaze myself how incredible actually I use my talent to win. For those who follow me since I'm a youngster, they knew I had potential. But I don't think nobody would have ever thought it would be this extreme, basically dominating the game, winning three Wimbledons. One, you think, wow, that's fantastic. When you end up winning three, you're like really starting to wonder, "What have I done right in my career that this has happened to me?" I'm very, very proud, because this is the most important tournament. To really now for the last I would say two, three years, I've put it together so consistently, I have a lot of pride in that, too.

Q. What impressed you most with yourself today?

ROGER FEDERER: The way I came out because I remember the way Andy came out in the finals last year. Now it was me this time, you know, because I really felt good on the serve, from the baseline, right away on the return as well. And I think that was definitely big, big for me, you know, to get that underway. Even though I was down a break in the second, I know I will have my chances again to break against Andy. Yeah, I mean, I think the rain delay was not really necessary, but it happened. Of course, it makes you wonder, you know, is this sort of payback time now to last year? I'm happy with every aspect of my game, so...

Q. Tony Roche has had a lot of heartache here over the years particularly in that player's box in finals. Was it special for you to know he could be part of a winning partnership here in a Wimbledon final?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, he's won here more times than I have.

Q. In singles.

ROGER FEDERER: Doubles. I count that, too. It's definitely special for him, I guess. You know, you have to ask him. For me, of course, I'm so happy for myself. But really happy that it also has worked out, our partnership. It's sort of not paid off, but after the semis in Australia which I thought it was fantastic, and the French was good, too, he was part of that, too. Now finally we get the win together. I think we're very excited and happy. He's not a guy who shows too much emotions, but I felt like he's very carried away, too, in the moment itself when we saw each other. I think tonight at the champions dinner we get a chance to reflect more on that.

Q. How important is he now becoming, even though it started on a gradual basis, for your preparation?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I knew from the start that he might be a big help in my game. I'm happy I start to understand what he's trying to teach me. Even though maybe, you know, he's not traveling 30, 40 weeks a year, I still feel he gives me enough weeks and time together. We've just been together about eight or nine weeks, which is a lot. You start to really know each other and start to understand each other. The language we actually talk, in tennis, that we actually know what we want to do. If he wants to walk away tomorrow, I have no problem. He's very easy in the relationship we have in tennis, in coach, you know. I just want him to know that. Every day and every week he gives me, I'm very thankful because I know how old he is, what he's been through, as a player, as a coach. He doesn't need it any more. So I'm very thankful to him.

Q. How would you react today if your name was Roddick and not Federer?

ROGER FEDERER: If what?

Q. If your name was Roddick, how would you react to a situation like that, someone dominating?

ROGER FEDERER: I think it would be -- in a way it makes you wonder, I guess. In another way, it's easy to accept because the other opponent played really well. That's the feeling I get. And I don't think Andy will look back too much with regrets on this match because I really thought I played as good as I could. I think if he could have maybe played a little bit better, gotten off to a better start. You know, the score looks very one-sided, but let's imagine he wins the second set, after saving the three set points, then the match looks totally different. I think it's like Lleyton, as well. They played a good tournament. Semis or a finals in a Slam is always I think a good result, too. They'll go into the next tournament knowing that they'll need really some exceptional play to beat them. I think that's going to help them all the way through to the end of the year.

Q. Andy spoken about how proud he was to play in an era against somebody as great as you. He's going to have to deal with you for as long as you both play. Do you have any sympathy for what he faces over the next several years?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, be nice to him. He's a great player himself, too, and I respect him very much. I enjoy playing him and Lleyton I think almost the most because we are the ones who got to the sort of -- up to the highest positions, you know, all sort of together. We've always had good matches, even though of course our series are one-sided. I always enjoy playing him very much because he's very fair play. He's funny off court, on court. I always look forward to play him. The challenge of that big serve and the challenge of his game makes me play really good tennis, you know. I know how hard and how difficult he is to beat on the court. So for me this is definitely a very special moment, to be able to play like this in the finals of Wimbledon against him.

Q. If you continue to dominate at Wimbledon the way you are now, do you think your greatest opponent might end up being yourself?

ROGER FEDERER: No, no. Not quite there yet. No, I mean, I'll take match by match, day by day, year by year basically, next few years. So far I've been lucky not to have any injuries, to be able to play at the level I am. But it's very draining and hard to keep that up all the time. Wimbledon and the grass has definitely been very good to me over the last few years. Of course, I'll try to be able to carry that even longer the next year.

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