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May 2006
Transcript:
ZDF Radio Interview
By BBC Five Live message boards
INTERVIEWER - Do you think Nadal has a hold over you now?
ROGER FEDERER - I'm playing against one of the best clay players, and I'm
getting closer to him on his favourite surface. I read one article
before the (Rome) final which predicted I would lose 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, they
thought it would be a walk for Nadal. The number of unforced errors was
ridiculous on my part and my serve was weak. But I know Nadal is the
kind of player who takes his opportunity and punishes you when you make
mistakes, that's to his credit.
INTERVIEWER - You made the point about Nadal's uncle Toni coaching him during play, are you pointing it out a mental game?
ROGER FEDERER - Mental game?
INTERVIEWER - A psychological tactic?
ROGER FEDERER - No, I said what I saw. I wasn't the only person who noticed it, a linesman and physio noticed it too. I looked up three time from my
chair and saw Toni talking and making hand gestures towards Nadal.
Whether or not Nadal was paying attention is besides the point. I
wasn't accusing Nadal of cheating. My frustration was directed more at
Toni. I don't know if the camera's picked it up.
INTERVIEWER - Nadal said you are closer to winning the French Open than he is to winning Wimbledon, do you agree?
ROGER FEDERER - I don't know how much preparation he's done for the grass and
hard court season. But it's not about me and him, there are so many guys
out there.
INTERVIEWER - Do you regret saying his game is one-dimensional?
ROGER FEDERER - No, I was analysing the depth not effectiveness of his style.
It's effective, it gets the job done but not layered if you know what I
mean.
INTERVIEWER - Who has a layered game?
ROGER FEDERER - Agassi, Safin, Haas, they're the sort of guys, they have an even
distribution of strength in parts of the game, they also happen to be
the most entertaining to watch, even when they don't win. I don't think
you can call Sampras three dimensional, but he's great at what he did.
INTERVIEWER - What do you think of the people who say your victories in the slams are down to weak competition?
ROGER FEDERER - Well to those people I say pick up a racquet and play against
Nalbandian, Ljubicic, Safin or Moya. Domination isn't down to poor
competition, it's about making the difficult look easy, that's why
people say the competition is not fierce enough.
INTERVIEWER - So you think the argument that Sampras had stronger competition is wrong?
ROGER FEDERER - I think there were so many people saying the same about
Sampras when he was playing. That he's beatable but the competition is
weak.
INTERVIEWER - You now against Sampras at his prime at the Wimbledon final who would win?
ROGER FEDERER - Well that wouldn't be fair
INTERVIEWER - Why?
ROGER FEDERER - Because I haven't hit my prime, yes, I'm winning but there is room for improvement.
INTERVIEWER - So this isn't your prime?
ROGER FEDERER - No, your prime is when you have reached the best of your
ability. This is not the best of my ability; I've not reached my
personal perfection, if you like.
INTERVIEWER - Do you get tired of being compared to Sampras, or Laver?
ROGER FEDERER - It's an irrational human nature to compare. Tennis is a sport that changes
annually so it's bizarre when you compare someone from the 1990s to
someone now.
INTERVIEWER - Who is the greatest player of all time?
ROGER FEDERER - (Laughing) You want me to contradict my last answer don't you! My favourite was Rod Laver. He's my idol.
INTERVIEWER - Is that why you cried at the Laver arena when he handed you the cup?
ROGER FEDERER - Well, yes and no, I felt relief because I had to fight for
it, but yes, him being there was important. I actually met him two days
before, the first thing I said was "Oh my god Rod Laver, you're Rod Laver", then I felt really stupid because, of course, he knew who he was.
INTERVIEWER - Your compatriot Martina won the Rome Open, do you think she can win the French Open?
ROGER FEDERER - If you asked me a few months ago if thought she would win it, I would have said no. but she continues to surprise me and everybody
else with her comeback. She incredibly strong willed, when we were
younger playing doubles she would have 3 or 4 strategies for us to win.
INTERVIEWER - How long have you known her?
ROGER FEDERER - A long time, she's a good friend.
INTERVIEWER - She's like a sister?
ROGER FEDERER - No, I have sister.
INTERVIEWER - Just a friend?
ROGER FEDERER - Yes! (Giggling) Stop it, I have a girlfriend.
INTERVIEWER - Do players gossip about each other?
ROGER FEDERER - We actually don't hang around each other that much, but once
in a while we talk about each others game, we don't talk about personal
life.
INTERVIEWER - Should women get paid the same as men in Wimbledon?
ROGER FEDERER - Other major tournament organisers are saying yes.
INTERVIEWER - Who's your favourite designer?
ROGER FEDERER - Prada
INTERVIEWER - Your favourite colour?
ROGER FEDERER - You mean in clothes?
INTERVIEWER - Yes.
ROGER FEDERER - I don't know, it depends on the mood.
INTERVIEWER - How was your childhood like?
ROGER FEDERER - It was fun.
INTERVIEWER - Did you have pushy parents?
ROGER FEDERER - No, because I was a pushy child, I was self-critical enough for the three of us.
INTERVIEWER - What language do you speak at home?
ROGER FEDERER - I speak Swiss German to my dad, English to my mum and French to my
physio and some of my friends. My first words were in English though.
INTERVIEWER - Where you ever bullied?
ROGER FEDERER - Bullied?
INTERVIEWER - Did other children pick on you?
ROGER FEDERER - Only when I moved to the French part of Switzerland to go to tennis
school, I spoke only German, I was quiet because I didn't want to make
mistakes and children ignore you when you don't talk. And I was so
emotional when I played that I became the volcano nobody came near. I
was a bit of a loner. Once I learned French, it was easy.
INTERVIEWER - You met the Pope in Rome, how was that like?
ROGER FEDERER - It was great an honour.
INTERVIEWER - What did you talk about?
ROGER FEDERER - He said he was happy to see me.
INTERVIEWER - How did that feel like?
ROGER FEDERER - Surreal.
INTERVIEWER - You're catholic?
ROGER FEDERER - Yes.
INTERVIEWER - Are you religious?
ROGER FEDERER - I guess I am in the spiritual way not in practising way, but I used to go to mass when I was younger.
INTERVIEWER - Do people stop you in the street back home a lot?
ROGER FEDERER - Well, Switzerland isn't a celebrity obsessed place, they get on with
life, but because I'm getting global fame, they pay more attention to
me. We don't have the paparazzi hiding in the bush, thank god.
INTERVIEWER - What do you spend a lot of money on?
ROGER FEDERER - Hair products, not that you can tell.
INTERVIEWER - What's your worst haircut then?
ROGER FEDERER - When I dyed my hair blonde, I wanted a change I think.
INTERVIEWER - So it didn't get the girls?
ROGER FEDERER - No, (sarcastically) I don't know why.
INTERVIEWER - What music wouldn't you want to be stuck in a lift listening to?
ROGER FEDERER - Céline Dion.
INTERVIEWER - Who wouldn't you want to be stuck in the lift with?
ROGER FEDERER - Well, after that answer, Céline Dion. (Interviewer laugh)
INTERVIEWER - What's in your MP3 player?
ROGER FEDERER - Just a second, I'll take it out.
INTERVIEWER goes through it and reads some of it AC/DC, Bocelli, Chopin, Jimi Hendrix, Mozart, Pink Floyd and The Who.
INTERVIEWER - So it's rock and classical.
ROGER FEDERER - (Laughing) Yes, I like to give myself a headache then sooth my head.
INTERVIEWER - You're now a UNICEF ambassador and you have your own charity and visit
so many countries to raise poverty awareness, what wouldn't you do for charity?
ROGER FEDERER - What wouldn't I do?
INTERVIEWER - Like would you pose nude?
ROGER FEDERER - I think people would pay for me to keep my clothes on.
INTERVIEWER - But you were featured in People magazine's sexist list.
ROGER FEDERER - I don't now how I got in there, they people mixed my name with someone else.
INTERVIEWER - Did you have a crush on anyone growing up?
ROGER FEDERER - I'm not saying.
INTERVIEWER - Why?
ROGER FEDERER - Because it'd be embarrassing when I meet them.
INTERVIEWER - C'mon, one name.
ROGER FEDERER - Gabriella Sabatini.
INTERVIEWER - I liked her too, our producer is shaking his head, he liked her too.
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