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Friday, January 13, 2006
Kooyong 5th Place Playoff
By AAMI Classic Official Site
R. FEDERER/M. Mirnyi 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-1)
ROGER FEDERER PRESS CONFERENCE 13/1/06:
Q: Roger, Max is your potential opponent in the third round of the Australian Open, so is this a really good preparation for that?
A: I didn't know it was third round against him so it was good, he told me later on, but it doesn't really change much; I think we know each other's games well enough so this doesn't matter and we've got plenty of matches before and tough opponents too so I wasn't thinking one second out there that I might play him at the Aussie Open.
Q: With the amount of baseline players there are on the tour now, when you're faced with a big serve volleyer like Max is it quite difficult to adjust?
A: It's always difficult to play against him because it's always a two, or maximum three, shot rally and sometimes you play the right shots but he picks the right side and then you end up still losing the point so it's very difficult to play players like him, they’ve got great serves, great athlete, at the net especially, and it is very difficult to play him but I thought at the same time it's a great challenge to always keep on passing and you're always going to see nice points and always a lot of winners, and I enjoy that actually.
Q: What does the name Denis Istomin mean to you?
A: Don't know.
Q: He's your first round opponent.
A: I read that, but I never heard of him. Cannot tell you one thing about him.
Q: Is that harder, going into an opening round not knowing one thing about your opponent?
A: Could be good, could be bad. We will find out soon.
Q: What do you do, will you have somebody go and watch him practice or anything like that, or ask around to find out?
A: Yeah, I will try to ask around a little bit. I already did, nobody knew him either. It's going to be hard but, again, have no clue how old he is, how he looks, if he is left or right so I better find out because I don't want to be facing something very unknown. It's definitely sort of tricky but I've never heard of him, obviously a huge favourite and take advantage of that.
Q: Do you prepare more opponent specific or do you just try and play your game regardless?
A: Well depends on the opponent, really does. I think early in the Grand Slam you're sort of getting used to the five setters first so I think you're focusing first on your own game and making sure you're fit and ready and can start off a Grand Slam campaign without any problems, and I think once you get underway you want to get off to a good start and once you've got that going then everything falls into place but there's obviously nerves always involved, a lot at stake for me and I always want to try and get off to a good start and I hope it's going to happen again this year.
Q: How do you assess your current form given that Tommy had a win over you a couple of days ago and you were taken to three tight sets here?
A: Well, all these results don't really matter to me, I'm concerned about how I'm hitting the ball and I think I could serve better, I've tried to serve a little better today and yesterday already but I'm still not quite satisfied. There's obviously tiredness felt from the trip I've had through coming from Doha late but I really started to play well at the end of the tournament. I'm happy the way I've been playing, also I had a couple of sessions on Rod Laver Arena, which were important I think, and again the Centre Court is different there, just the feeling, and I think now just a couple of days of practice I will be just fine.
Q: Roger, it looked like it all came together in that last tie breaker. Is that an ideal way to round off your preparation?
A: I was happy I played a decent breaker in the end because the first one was gone in no time against Max and this one quickly fell my way so it was good to finish off with it but, again, if I would have lost a break it wouldn't have changed much but played some good tennis in the end, I thought, and stayed tough which is good.
Q: Apart from your first round in the Open, have you had a bit of a look ahead as to how the draw shapes up for you?
A: No, I haven't.
Q: No concerns about Lleyton Hewitt falling into your part instead of Andy's?
A: Doesn't matter, does it? So far away in the draw but, like I said, I didn't quite look at it, I heard but not more really, there's not much to say about that.
Q: It's not your business really but in the second round Hewitt could face Andy Murray. You've played them both, what sort of match do you think that would be?
A: Well, both have to win their round first. I think it's the first time for Murray playing in the main draw of the Aussie Open so that will be a test for him, and he is playing ‑ ‑ ‑
Q: Chela.
A: Chela, okay. That's a guy with experience so that's not going to be an easy one for him but of course if they play I think will be interesting to see over five sets against Hewitt, that's the toughest thing you can ask for, especially at Rod Laver Arena, so he better be ready for that one.
Q: How would you see Gasquet against Monfils as players at their stage of development? Gasquet has beaten you once, how would you compare them?
A: To be honest, before his injury I can only talk about Gasquet, now he lost back to back first rounds - Doha and Sydney - and I haven't seen him at all actually but before the injury I would definitely say Gasquet would beat Monfils but, again, times have changed, maybe Monfils has played good in Doha definitely would have a chance but I still believe Gasquet has a little more potential and is a little more dangerous on the day.
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