Friday, May 12, 2006

Rome AMS Quarterfinal

By ASAP Sports

An interview with: ROGER FEDERER

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well, he looks like the sort of player who could be a challenger at Roland Garros maybe, do you think?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, for upsets, for sure. For the title, that's still far-fetched I think, you know, with Rafael around and all this stuff.

But I said yesterday that he's going to be one of those guys that you've got to watch out for in the draw. He can definitely upset. He proved that definitely today.

Q. How do you rate your performance?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it was pretty good, you know. I thought it was pretty consistent except the one matchpoint, obviously, you know. That made life a little bit more difficult for me today.

But other than that, I thought I created quite a lot of opportunities for myself and nothing in the game really broke down, and that's important.

It was a tricky match, you know. He was playing well, very far behind the baseline, and that's always an adjustment to make especially after playing Stepanek.

Q. Would you call that an adventure, an escape, a surprise? How would you term that?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I don't know. I wouldn't call it an "escape" because I was up all the time, you know. I served for the match and then I was always up in the third set, too. I had, you know -- I don't think he had a breakpoint in the third, I think.

But I had many opportunities, so I always felt - and that was the case - I was always ahead. I think it was just an overall very tough match, you know, which almost went down to the wire with a tiebreaker, but I snuck out before that so...

Q. What were his strengths, do you think?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, you just feel like he's very comfortable on clay. I mean, there's no other surface you'd get away by playing so far back in the court, you know, than clay. That obviously is a big help for him, the surface.

Then he obviously has a good forehand, pretty consistent backhand I would say. I knew he had a big game, you know. I played him at the French Open last year, and he proved that again today. He got very close.

Q. With the sun today, it seemed like the court was a bit slippery.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, obviously, when it's slippery, it's not easy, huh? I mean, that's no doubt. But you got to play around that, you know, so you don't get caught in a position where the other guy can just hit for a winner and you got to guess sides. Then you always look like an idiot.

But, yeah, it was getting a little slippery there. I thought it was good they put water on the court, you know. Maybe it slows down conditions a bit.

But, no, with the sun, this court, it's never a problem. Yeah, it was a little slippery for a while there.

Q. Once you lost the matchpoint, made double-fault on the second serve, then you find yourself in the third. Did you think about last year, the two defeats out of four of yours came after you had matchpoint? Or you don't think at all...

ROGER FEDERER: (Smiling).

Q. No, please, please.

ROGER FEDERER: No, of course, of course (smiling).

Q. Also, once you were close to the tiebreaker, you thought, "Okay, I had five opportunities, five matchpoints, if I get to the tiebreaker, would be more difficult for me," or not?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, I definitely think about all these things, too, you know, what happened after having matchpoint, being broken and all this, you know, because then you're at even terms again. Maybe you're still up a set, but the momentum's, you know, shifted. You know that now the chance of losing the breaker may be slightly bigger than still five minutes ago, and you start thinking of what happened last year. I remember losing a few ones with matchpoints. I hoped that the same is not gonna happen.

But all I can do is give myself opportunities and if it happens, I don't know. The worst thing -- the best thing you can say is, "At least I had matchpoint."

But, yeah, I mean, it was very close in the end, and I was happy to come out before the tiebreaker, that's for sure.

Q. Obviously, you're going to say at this time you'd prefer to win every match as easy as possible, but is a test like that good for you with what's coming up?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think the more time on clay, the better. Of course, you know, as long as I keep on winning the matches, that's always good.

I think with how Monaco and this has been going, you know, I mean, I'm in top form, and that's excellent news for me. And then a match like this, you know, maybe, like you say, it is maybe good for me.

But I always like to win those the most, you know, the ones that are close like this.

Q. Before Monte-Carlo you said that since it was your first tournament on clay this year you would have been happy just to get to the quarters more or less. Before coming here, what was the goal?

ROGER FEDERER: Was also the same, about quarters, you know.

Q. No.

ROGER FEDERER: Sorry, huh, to disappoint you (smiling).

Q. I don't trust you.

ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, you underestimate the toughness of the Masters Series because they are very difficult, you know. You play seeds already in the third round. You play every day, especially if you start on Tuesday.

I mean, it's really hard, you know, especially on the body. I haven't been playing now again for two weeks. Guys are coming in with maybe confidence and all this stuff. Now everybody's playing well.

So, no, my goal is reasonable and it's the quarterfinal. Now that I've made it that far, you know, it's nice, but it doesn't get any easier with Nalbandian and then the five-setter maybe in the finals.

So, I mean, I have to go match at a time. But the initial goal was a quarterfinal.

Q. (Through translation.) Will you play more aggressive tomorrow or like today?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I usually play -- I adapt very much to the opponent. My game is usually always pretty much aggressive and not really waiting for the other guys to mistake -- to make the mistake.

I think it will be the same tomorrow. It will be aggressive style, and I think that's what's going to make me win the match tomorrow if I really want to come through as a winner.

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