Sports - Roger Federer Appreciation #1 - Page 7

*Catherine* · 05-29-2008, 11:32 AM

Congrats to Rogerfor winning today! 6-7, 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 It was a pretty good match by Fed... I think after not playing for 2 days, Fed needed the first set to shake off the rust. Most of his UE came in the 1st set, after which he came alive and dominated

One of the commentators said it's the worst thing Montanes could have done - to win the first set, because "He's annoyed Federer!" And thats what it felt like

Quote:

Q. It was a different match after that first set. What changed?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, conditions were tough. Obviously, you know, today playing basically 10 games in the rain wasn't a whole lot of fun. But that's what happens on clay sometimes, so I was pretty pleased to get to 5‑All.

Coming back from the rain after that, it wasn't easy. But unfortunately I couldn't play my best in that particular moment and he was pretty solid. So it was tough going down, you know, a set, but reaction was good and bounced back strong. Played really well after that.

After that first set, I'm very happy with my performance.

Q. Did you feel on track after two rounds, where you want to be?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think it's all right, you know. First match was fine. Second one was, too. Just a little rough with the conditions. Hope it's going to get better from here. But otherwise, you know, with my performance, yeah, I'm happy.

Q. What about the next one next Mario?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, tough opponent. He's got a good name, you know, to it, and he's got a big game, as well. Should be exciting. I've played him here in the past when he was a little bit tired after, you know, a brutal match with Robredo like two days before. He couldn't really recover maybe 100% percent for my match, which was an advantage for me, obviously.

I expect a fresh Mario, really, playing against me. He's been playing okay again. He's on the comeback trail, which I'm happy about. He's a good friend of mine on tour. Should be a nice match.

Q. Just to the conditions, I mean, you prefer it a little bit sunnier, hotter, drier out there on the court?

ROGER FEDERER: No. I mean, well if it's in the rain it's no fun. I mean, everything's wet, the balls get heavy, and the bounces is low. I think on clay maybe against a particular player, you know, against like a huge server maybe, you know, you hope you're going to play him in the rain, okay?

But other than that, against any other player, I would think it doesn't really matter what the conditions are. It's about tactics, about physical shape. It's about how you play.

For this reason I still haven't found out what my favorite clay court sort of style is: if it's humid and wet or if it's bouncy and quick, you know. I honestly don't mind anything. That's how I want to feel at the French.

Q. What's your mindset? I mean, you know you have to step it up in the latter part of a Slam, the last two, three rounds, and then the first couple rounds you never really know where your game is and what's going to happen. What about these middle rounds? What's your mindset going into this middle part of this tournament?

ROGER FEDERER: I always feel a little bit easier than maybe the first, or the first two, just because now in the tournament it's sort of slowing down a little bit in the locker room. You've gotten used to the courts, the conditions now. You know, I know what it's all about.

The first sort of pressure rounds are through, and now maybe the focus is more on trying to enjoy as well, and playing good tennis instead of trying not to lose in a way, you know. I think that's a big change in your mindset.

You can now chase the lines a little bit more, whereas maybe in the beginning you sort of see how it goes and you try to play solid, you know. So now you start going for your shots a little bit more.

Q. Taking into account the weather conditions, that first set was more Montanes playing very well or you not playing your best?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I thought ‑‑ he is a good player. He's played plenty of matches on clay, and he's a guy who is going to cause troubles to many players on clay, except maybe the top guys. If they play well, maybe his game is a little too reliable for us.

But I missed a couple breaks points early on, you know, which sort of didn't help. All of a sudden, tough game at 4‑5 down, which was really difficult, because then it was really pouring down. So I think he played well. You, know, he had good length in his shots. He moved well. It was tough for me to get a read on his serve. He serves very different. He comes very flat. You usually expect a kick serve, you know.

So it was just a matter of getting used to his game. I started to return much better in the second set, and after that my baseline game fell in.

Q. How similar are these conditions with ones you found in Estoril, for example?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, same. It was raining, so it was identical. I was happy just to go to Estoril just because of that.

Yeah, I mean, it was really windy in Estoril on top of that. It was a nice rain, so it wasn't the greatest sort of experience on the tennis court. But other than that, it helped me get ready for Monaco. And.

You know, every clay court tournament has something a little bit different, you know. Hamburg is a little bit slower, Rome is a little bit quicker because the courts are very different there because they're probably much more in the sun throughout the year.

Here in Paris they're very much like in between, let's say ‑‑ well, they're more like Monte‑Carlo, you know. So it's good to play that event.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. You've been working with Sven Groeneveld for the last few months. Can you tell us why you chose him? What are the qualities you appreciate in him and what kind of personality he has?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, he's a good friend. I've known him for quite a long time. He was still playing in the national center when I was 14, so I've known him since then.

Then he also did a pretty good job during the Davis Cup for us, the players. So when I was left with no coach, I thought I would organize a few things with him. You know, sometimes he was also helping me when Tony Roche was in Australia.

So it's fun. He can be good fun and we can have good laughs, but he can also be very serious and we can work very hard together. So he's great. I'm very happy with what he does. He analyzes my game. He does everything he has to do, and I'm very happy. It's nice traveling around with somebody I've known for quite a long time and with somebody I like.

Next up..Ancic!

Rinniee · 05-30-2008, 09:52 PM

Roger in navy once again. He looks good in that color. I can't believe you woke up earlier enough to see that match. Hats off to you Cat. You're my hero

*Catherine* · 05-31-2008, 05:47 AM

I wasnt sure about the navy at first, but who am I kidding, he looks great in everything

The match wasnt too early here Rinniee. I'm 4.5 hrs ahead of you

But I would've woken up early

wingster · 05-31-2008, 09:38 AM

he plays ancic today right?

*Catherine* · 05-31-2008, 07:09 PM

Thats right, he did! And he played a beautiful match, it was a joy to watch! And he won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

What does everyone think of the orange bag?

Quote:

An interview with Roger Federer - Saturday, May 31, 2008

Q. We've seen you hit some amazing shots over the years, but be honest, was that second set point one of the best?

ROGER FEDERER: Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. It, was ‑‑ yeah, it was a beautiful forehand, especially with the pace and angle I was able to hit it, you know. It happens rarely, you know, because you just need a little bit of tape or a little bit later and it's going to go out by a long way.

So I was very pleased about that one. Yeah, it's one of the better ones.

Q. You seem to be playing with a lot of freedom. Was that something that you were consciously trying to do, or was that because Mario has a style that suits you?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, I think it depends a little bit on how he was going to play. You know, he has the opportunity to come to the net and take away from you a little bit.

He chose to stay back, you know. He's got a lot of variety in his serve. He's got one of the best serves in the game, you know. So I had to first sort of see how I was going to be able to return in the best way.

I thought at the beginning it was kind of hard to be able to move him around, you know, from the baseline. So I maybe struggled a little bit early on, you know, to get the edge from the baseline.

But once I got the break I think I really started to play better, and, you know, more freely like you said. That definitely helped.

Then I really served well throughout the match. I was very pleased the way I played, because I always think on any surface Mario's tough. Maybe a little tougher, of course, on a faster court, but nevertheless I'm happy with my performance.

Q. Would you say that the tournament is going okay, going according to your expectations?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I'm happy the way I'm playing. You know, I'm not losing much energy in the first week. You know, it's always good signs. We've seen, you know, seeded players dropping again. So that's why I'm always happy when I'm able to get through and get myself an opportunity.

Yeah, I'm excited being, you know in the fourth round again and being the overwhelming favorite, so I hope I can use the situation I'm in very well.

Q. When you describe yourself as the overwhelming favorite in your half, does that mean you've been keeping track of the other results and you see the big seeds all dropping out of your section?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, a little bit of that. I mean, Richard Gasquet didn't even play in that section, so there goes a big seed, you know, with the sort of, you know, the French support in the back.

I play a Frenchman nevertheless, but in terms of rankings, you know, it's not just a No. 10 or No. 20 guy. So, I mean, I expect myself to win, but it's going to be a difficult match, you know.

Benneteau can play very well, and he's playing with the home support, so it always makes it a little bit more tricky. We'll see what he's got on Monday.

Q. If we can look ahead just one round, have you ‑‑

ROGER FEDERER: I don't.

Q. Higueras, what will he do if you and Ginepri play in the quarters?

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. He hasn't won it. I haven't won yet. If that problem occurs, I think he's happy (laughter.)

Q. Some people, some players were complaining about the clay court season and how packed it is. I'm just wondering about the grass season; it's so short. Theoretically, would you like to elongate that season or...

ROGER FEDERER: Sure. I'm the first guy who's going to say let's add an extra week or two on grass. But I don't even try, because I don't think it should happen, you know. Even though grass is maybe my best surface, you know, and I've had unbelievable success and I haven't lost in five or six years.

So I'm not going to go there, you know, because I think it stays unique, you know, to see, you know, the French Open, you know, backed up right away with maybe one or two tournaments and then Wimbledon.

I think that's so unique. Why should we change that if we've seen great things happen with what Bjørn Borg did, and things like this. What Rafa myself have been able to achieve the last few years. I think it's been interesting.

Honestly, I have no interesting in adding another week.

Q. Should it be shorter?

ROGER FEDERER: No. I think it's okay the way it is.

Q. Nadal and Djokovic have both talked a little bit this week about their decision to be on the players council. Could you talk a little bit about yours and what some of the end goals might be?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. I mean, It think it's interesting times in tennis, you know. I hope it's ‑‑ it can only get better from here. I think we have great stories in the game at the moment, but then obviously the political part in tennis.

It's not something that we've been very interested in. I mean, I've obviously been on tour much longer than Rafa and Novak have, together almost.

So in some ways, I've always tried to get the players together so we speak at least, you know, have normal talks about what we would like to have happen for the tour.

The last few months and years, especially, thanks to Rafa, you know, being open to talk, and me as well, I think we've gotten into very good relationship on these points. And now we can always engage with Novak, and he also seems very keen to be part of that.

We've put ourselves on the list, you know, to consider if you want to run. We don't even have to be elected because we're the only three running for it. I think it's maybe an opportunity for all of us, you know, to be deciding also maybe on a few things. And hopefully also inspiring some other players to see, you know, if we're interested they should be interested, as well.

And I think the next few months will show what's going to happen.

THE MODERATOR: French questions?

Q. I wanted to know what did not go well today, because we did feel that you were so light. Do you think you have turned the page on your mononucleosis? How long has it been since you played so well on clay?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I've been playing well for some time. Today obviously it wasn't a very easy match considering the conditions, playing against somebody who serves well. He tried to take the pace away from me and play aggressively, playing from the backhand and on the return. But I finally found my reference marks, and I'm happy with the way I moved around.

And for me, it's very important to know that I'm past my mononucleosis and that it's not an issue anymore. I've forgotten about it now. Since Miami I've been feeling much better, and the results have shown it, anyway. I'm very satisfied with the way I feel today.

Q. In Rome you said that your condition was back, but today I felt that really for the first time you were back to the Mighty Federer, capable of being above everybody else, unreachable. Do you feel like you've taken one step forward and that your condition has even improved?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, you can always improve your condition. That's why I train with a physical preparator, just to be able to ‑‑ I mean, I would sometimes prefer to go have coffee, but he makes me work out. You have to work out if you want to be No. 1. I'm happy with the way things are.

In the past maybe four, five, six years back, I was afraid of five‑set matches. I was afraid of going beyond two hours on the court. Now I can hold five hours, and it's a very good thing. I found it exciting to play very long matches, because I take this as a test. It's also very pleasant with the crowd that starts cheering and playing along.

But as far as my condition is concerned, I'm quite happy. And mentally, also, I feel well. No particular problems right now. This is very good when you're going for a Grand Slam tournament.

Q. Can you tell us something about Julien Benneteau. I don't know if you've seen you're going to be playing him. He just defeated Soderling. Do you know him? How do approach this next match?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I know him. We were in the same draw. We've known each other for some time. We played together in Annecy. I don't know him so well, not as well as other people know him.

I haven't played against him very often, but he's a good player. He's an all‑around player. He plays well on all surfaces. He's done a very good tournament this week, and Barcelona, as well.

It comes as a bit of a surprise for me, but now that I've seen that he recovered in the second set and I thought maybe he's going to ‑‑ this will be the turnaround, and then he finally won the match. It's not every year that you play against a Frenchman here at Roland Garros, so I'm looking forward to it.

Q. But playing a Frenchman, this is additional motivation?

ROGER FEDERER: Yes, people stayed very late tonight. You know, for some other matches, people left and didn't stay until 8:00 or 9:00 in the evening. They stayed for me, and that's nice, because they wanted to see me play. This I like very much. It's very pleasant for me.

But when you're playing a Frenchman, a French national, obviously they're going to stay. I'm glad I'm going to play against him for that reason.

Q. For us French people, for the first time since 1971 there will be five French people in the round of 8. How do you feel about this? Five French players are at that level without Gasquet.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, all the better for you. I mean, if we had had Grand Slams in our country things would be different for Swiss people. But I don't think it's a surprise for me here why they are so consistent.

The Davis Cup, for instance, they have been consistent for years. They have more than one or two or three players. They have like 20 players, like the Spaniards, like the Americans. There will always be someone.

If he loses there is somebody to replace him. That's the reason French players have always been very good. Also the juniors are very good. There was always one junior among the top four. So I'm not really surprised. Some of them really have done some great achievements, great tournaments until now.

I'm trying to stop one, but maybe the others will win. We'll see what happens

Roger's next match..

A funny moment in the Montanes match-Roger misses the ball...........And still looks elegant

wingster · 05-31-2008, 09:52 PM

funny clip...
he simply dominated against ancic

*Catherine* · 06-02-2008, 10:24 AM

He did

Wasnt quite as dominate today, but he got the job done against JB, 6-4 7-5 7-5. Wasnt his A game, and got broken in the 1st and second set each time he was servingfor the set. I wish he'd stop that

Gives me a freakin heart attack. And he wont be able to get away with it against other players..

As usual, a few pics..

Quote:

Q. Do you think that around many end of the sets your opponent brought you to play really some of your best? Did you expect that today?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah. I mean, I expected him to get on a run at times. And, you know, he had a few bad moments, as well. Maybe that's why his ranking is not all the way at the top. So I relied on those mistakes, you know.

It was unfortunate I couldn't serve it out the way I wanted to in the first and second set, but I felt okay out there. You know, it was tough conditions with the rain delay.

He was under a lot of pressure serving at 5‑6 down obviously in the second set. That wasn't very comfortable for him, you know. But I was able to take advantage it and get the second set.

I thought I played an okay match. He was playing well, at times very well even, and that put me under pressure. And like you said, then I also had to raise my game.

Q. Overall, how do you feel that you're playing so far, looking back on your four matches so far in your campaign? Where would you put your level at the moment?

ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I think it's all right, you know. Today was a particular match, you know, against a French player, very streaky, you know. So you always got to be, you know, careful.

I didn't think I had my best serving day today, you know, unfortunately. But the last three have been good, so I hope the next one is going to be okay again, as well.

All in all, I'm very happy with the way I'm playing, and I'm looking forward to my next round match against González.

Q. What has been the impact of José Higueras' coaching on your game? Because today you played pretty much like you did before, very good.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, important is to try to keep a good level up, you know, that I've shown over the last few years, and take the good advice José gives me from the last few weeks and months.

Maybe it's going to make a small difference at the end, and I hope it's going to go my way this time.

Q. The whole tournament, just the way you're playing, Rafa, and Djokovic, the fact that Davydenko lost, how do you see the thing just sort of generally shaping up?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, you know I think it's an open draw, you know, for Ljubicic, Monfils, Ferrer and Stepanek. I don't see a clear favorite, you know. In that match. I don't know if they've played already or not, but I think anything is possible in that section.

González hasn't lost basically on clay this season yet, you know, so it's a tough match. He had a great win against Stan the other day.

Obviously I'm the favorite in this section, so I hope I can make it through to the final. But I'm not there yet, so I have to be very careful with González, because it seems like he played a good match today.

Q. Talking about González in particular, is there something about his game? Obviously he gets on a roll and starts unleashing his bombs. Is it a case of standing back and waiting for it, or do you think he can sustain it?

ROGER FEDERER: You have to go against it. He doesn't blow you away from the first shot. He's also very streaky player. He can go on a great roll at times, you know. But you've got to go against it.

Important is to serve well, and also try to put him on the back foot. I think you also have to play aggressive. For me, it's an interesting match, because last time we played I lost.

So I hope I can turn around again in my favor this time.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. What about playing against a Frenchman in France? Is it more difficult than any other match?

ROGER FEDERER: It might be tough, but I think that the public was, how can I say, fair play. Here again, they were here when they were needed for Benneteau. Also, he broke me twice when I was serving for the set in the first set, so the pressure was going up. That's when Benneteau could start playing well, perhaps worry me a little, but I managed to play well afterwards.

Yes, it's different to play against the French here, but I enjoyed it today.

Q. Are you satisfied with where you are today and how you play?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, yes, as I said, I think I didn't serve in the best possible way today. But otherwise, the match was solid, was good. I waited for him to make more errors. He started hitting more balls in the court, and all of a sudden, you know, the conditions are very slow. So let's be careful about this, is what I thought.

But I managed to win the match. I found the means to win the match. That was very important. I was very happy to win this, because it was a difficult draw against a French. So I hope I can still play well next match.

Q. The next opponent is Fernando González. He's quite impressive on clay. He's not been beaten so far. What do you think about this?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, yes, he is a dangerous player. I think that clay's probably his preferred surface. He was born on clay, more or less, and his tournament was good. Today was a key match for him.

After the difficult match against Wawrinka he's still there. He has one day off to recover, so he's going to be fitter than I am today. We'll see what the match looks like. I practiced with him when I arrived here and he played well during practice.

I must say he's got one of the best forehands on the tour, so I'll have to be careful about this and we'll see what happens.

And lets hope he's able to raise his level and play better against Gonzo. Roger knows he has to!

wingster · 06-04-2008, 07:39 AM

gonzales will be a very tough competitor for fed
hopefully he can pull through

*Catherine* · 06-04-2008, 09:41 AM

And he did! A slow start, losing the first set, but in similar fashion to the Montanes match, he came out firing in the second, ultimately winning the match. 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

Congrats to Roger on reaching his 16th consecutive grand-slam semi-final!

If he gets to the final he cant afford to have a slow start, but despite that, this match was good for Roger, getting him to move all over the court, and playing a variety of shots. He ran alot, which I think is good for him at this stage.

Not sure who he will be playing in the SF yet...

but here are some pics!

Match point..

I'm very excited for the SF on Friday..

wingster · 06-04-2008, 10:35 AM

he should win the semi since he's never lost to either of his potential opponents

*Catherine* · 06-04-2008, 10:49 AM

He'll be playing Monfils. I still cant believe Ferrer in the 4th set. I think he physically and mentally broke down..I must admit, I wasnt expecting him to lose.

More pics! (Yes I am crazy obsessed)

SF match-up..

BenMcKenzieAlways · 06-04-2008, 11:27 AM

Can I be added ??

I really love the Federer's style on court ! Even if, I'm French, i want him to win against Gaël as it was with Benneteau !!

Go ROGER !!

*Catherine* · 06-04-2008, 12:40 PM

Ofcourse you can be added

I get a feeling there are alot more fans that want to see him win the French this year, but thats just me..

Rogers interview..

Quote:

Q. At the end of the first set, what were you thinking? And did you think you could turn out a performance like that after losing 6‑2?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was hoping to be able to get off to a good start in the second set. That was my first focus. I knew I wasn't, you know, playing great in the first set, but I think Fernando really returned well, kept the ball in play, and himself played well on his own forehand, which usually always happens.

But still, it was tricky just because I was missing mine. You know, getting ‑‑ I think I was broken three times in the set, and that always is going to leave you a little bit rattled going into the second set.

So I was really happy the way I came back. I really got on a roll, played great, and was able to dominate him, you know, at times, and also start to serve a little bit more ‑‑ a bit better, a bit smarter. Well, I think I played ‑‑ in the end, I think I played a very good match today.

Q. Would there be any circumstances or any players that you've come up more playing on clay?

ROGER FEDERER: Come up more?

Q. To the net.

ROGER FEDERER: Sure, I mean he's playing from far behind the court, he chips a lot, so it sort of hangs in the air. You're not sure maybe the first one is maybe going to go in or not, so you got to sometimes ‑‑ not take a chance, but you got to read it early and, you know, come in and either hit swing volleys or just knock them off, you know, instead of letting him come back into the middle.

Today I think it was particularly important for me to have an aggressive mindset, you know. You definitely have players where you get a chance to come in more than against others. But on clay it's, I think, always hard, you know, because if you don't have a maybe good first volley, the second shot is so easy, today, to pass that it just sort of ‑‑ it's a tough thing to do.

Q. You hit your backhand great today, especially down the line. Was it on the day, or are there a couple things you've been working on with José where he's been telling you more to hit through when you have to?

ROGER FEDERER: No. I mean, against Fernando you always know he's going to be leaning in the backhand corner, you know, so he leaves, obviously, the forehand side very open.

The tough part is just usually, you know, you're in a tough position to hit it up the line, you know, because you're usually on the stretch.

I tried to get there as much as I could. I already, I think, played it well against Benneteau. Throughout the tournament I've been actually playing it well. It's something I have to play, I have to use, you know, because it opens the court up a great deal for me, and then afterwards I can always attack with my forehand.

I think it's an important shot. It's something we've been working on maybe a little bit, you know. We didn't have that much practice time, so...

But, yeah, I'm using it well at the moment, which is nice.

Q. Fourth straight semifinal here. I know it's tough to compare years. Just talk about in general about how you feel about your game go into the semis?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's good. I have been in so many semis of Grand Slam in a row. It's always a great pleasure being in the last four. It's really where it gets most interesting.

This is usually where I hope to play my best, you know, and especially here at the French, which one is supposed to maybe be the toughest one for me.

To make four in a row is a great accomplishment, but, you know, this year I'm obviously particularly aiming for the title.

So I hope it's not going to stop here.

Q. González didn't win, but would you say that's a pretty good way to play against Roger Federer?

ROGER FEDERER: The way he played today?

Q. Yeah.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, he plays a particular game, you know. He dinks the backhand and rifles the forehand. He sometimes kicks the serve, and then he hits a serve, you know, so he's quite unpredictable.

I don't see many guys having that type of game on tour, you know. I mean, he's a dangerous player. We've seen it on many occasions that he's got the game to upset, you know, the big guys.

I knew the danger playing against Fernando, especially with his great record this year on clay. When he's got confidence, he is a tough, tough player to play against.

Yeah, I mean, you can say he played me the right way, you know, but maybe it was a little bit too passive, too physical for him for four sets. I don't know.

Q. Your serve and the way you held serve towards the end, is that more a matter of changing tactics or executing better than you did in the first set?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, the thing was I almost got myself in trouble in early in my own service games, you know. And then I would have 30‑All points sometimes where maybe just not quite sure what to do yet, you know, just sort of getting into the game.

Those were reasons why I got broken early on. That didn't happen anymore towards the end, you know, because it wouldn't be at 30‑All, it would be at 40‑15, and everything is just a touch easier when you're up in the game.

I made sure I got more first serves in, you know, because I realized it was not going to make much of a difference if I would serve 210 or 190. He would chip it back the same way.

But that got me more safety, and then I could my forehand started to work better and better. I started to move him around, and I think I played a smart match in the end.

But nevertheless, he stayed dangerous till the very end, you know, especially with him winning the first set. That's always going to put you under extra pressure.

Q. Did you have the chance yesterday to see the Almagro and Nadal match?

ROGER FEDERER: Four points, maybe.

Q. 6‑1, 6‑1, 6‑1. Are you impressed? Surprised? Worried?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, it surprises me, obviously, that it happens to a good player like Nicolas, you know. I've played him in the past, and I've had some tough ones against him. Never lost against him.

But, you know, I would have thought he would have given him a better run for the money, you know. But I read some quotes before the match. You know, like he thought that Rafa is so good and so great, you know, that maybe he didn't really believe in it. So if you don't believe in it against Rafa, you're not going to win, so...

And, yeah, from what I heard, he didn't choose the right tactics, you know, by never coming to the net, by never using a dropshot. I mean, it's always going to be hard. I guess he didn't play the right way.

Q. I know that the Olympics, it's a big goal for you. I want to ask you about the case of Nicolas Massú. He's trying to get an invitation, a wildcard for the Olympics, because the ranking is too low for him. Do you think that he deserve an invitation? That he should be in the tournament?

ROGER FEDERER: Absolutely. He's a defending champion. I mean, if he doesn't get one anymore, I don't know who will get one. Yeah, I'm the first guy to completely agree with, you know, whoever has taken that decision. I hope it's in a positive way for Nicolas, because what he achieved back in Athens winning singles and doubles, it's never going to happen again, you know.

I know maybe his ranking dropped, but nevertheless, he achieved great things four years ago, and I think he should be compensated with a wildcard this year.

THE MODERATOR: French questions, please.

ROGER FEDERER: No questions in French? Too bad for you. See you tomorrow, or the day after. (laughter.)

Q. You're going to play Monfils or Ferrer. Do you have any preference?

ROGER FEDERER: No. Not really, no. They're both difficult players to play. Gaël because he's French and he's very fit at the moment. David, because on clay he has great experience and I played very tough matches against him.

But I don't think I ever lost to any of them. It's not as if I had lost three times against one of them, so I don't care.

Q. Since the beginning of this tournament we've seen you many times as if you were annoyed, or sometimes we had the feeling that you were a bit bored. Is it because of the game conditions?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, this is not true, so end of your question. No, honestly, it was difficult. It rained a lot, so I don't want to look up in the sky, because otherwise rain falls in my eye. I want to remain focused.

No, I try and remain focused, and today at one stage I was a bit afraid, because the match was not going on the way I wanted and I had to fight a lot.

Probably needed to have more aggressive attitude, and so I wanted to be aggressive today. Maybe this is what you saw today, but otherwise, I'm very happy. I feel good. No problem whatsoever on my side anyway.

Q. Two years ago, they started organizing a tournament for disabled people here. What's your feeling? Have you ever tried that? What do you feel about these athletes?

ROGER FEDERER: I've already played with them and against them on the central courts after a match. And at the US Open, for instance, I remember ‑‑ and I think it's great. I'm a great fan of that. I think it's great they play on the very same site where we play here in Roland Garros and in Wimbledon, which I think is fabulous on grass.

I always take pictures with them during awards ceremonies, and I think it's very important. It's already difficult enough for them to be in a wheelchair, but I think it's great they can practice a sport like tennis.

Q. I think you've noticed that a large number of people here with the French and Swiss want you to win here this year as compared to last year. At this stage, are you more confident with your tennis today, and can you anticipate more?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, of course each time I win a match I build up my confidence. I have good feelings, because I wanted to reach the semifinals and then be fit for the finals, and I have not used too much of my energy, which is good, which is good as compared to ‑‑ because Novak and Rafa have two days off now. But otherwise I feel good.

I also feel that people support me, not just because I speak French. Even when I played against Julien people were very fair play. They were very happy to see me playing. I think they're very supportive, especially here in Roland Garros, and I think they want me to win, and they've wanted that for three years.

I've reached the semifinals. I'm not that far from the final, so I'll try to fight, and we'll see what happens.

Q. Coming back on the match, how can you explain the difference and what happened between this first set, which was not very well‑played, and the three others, which were just great and beautiful?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think I was not in a good position. I had a break against me in the first set right at the beginning, which is not a very good position. Then I think this really is what cost me the first set.

I don't know, if he had a third break against me, I don't know if it would have made any difference, but I had difficulties with my forehand. I couldn't play the way I wanted, and I attacked his backhand too much instead of opening with my forehand.

But sometimes you tend to be afraid of his forehand so you want to play on his backhand, but ‑‑ so I made some tactical errors at the beginning.

It's only afterwards that I started to be far more aggressive on his forehand, and then I realized he couldn't hurt me too much, and that was a good thing.

And then the match turned a bit and I felt very strong from the baseline and I felt very confident, so then it became very difficult for Fernando. He had three major opportunities at the beginning, but that was the key of the match at the end.

Q. So if everything goes fine for you in semifinal, do you have any preference for the final, Nadal or Djokovic?

ROGER FEDERER: No, I have no preference for the semifinals nor for the final. My only preference is I want to win both matches (laughter.)

Q. Would you like to take your revenge on Nadal?

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I'd love to play Rafa, because we've been rivals for quite a long time. We've played 16 matches together, and we've played exhibition matches. We've known each other for ‑‑ I think this will be the ultimate test on clay this year.

Q. After you played the last tournament, suffering mononucleosis. Do you enjoy being in very good physical condition now?

ROGER FEDERER: No, that's over. That's something I want to forget now.

The Australian Open was even better than what I achieved here so far, because in Australia I knew I had something before. I knew I would have something after. But during the Australian Open I wanted to focus just on my tennis. When people came to me and said, What's wrong with you? I was surprised I had played ‑‑ well, I was surprised I managed to play that well.

No, that was two months ago. I started feeling much better a month ago. To me, that's part of the past. Reaching the semifinals here is a big achievement for me.

Q. It's the 16th time.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, the last one who defeated me here in semifinals was Guga, three sets, quick match. Everybody was happy. (laughter.)

But it was a great match playing Guga here in Roland Garros. It's like playing Agassi in America or Hewitt in Australia or Henman in Wimbledon. It was a beautiful match, but my reacting the way I did surprised me.

Q. I just wanted to know if you think Djokovic can win against Nadal at this stage? And can you tell us more about the relationships you have with Novak Djokovic?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, to start with, I think he has a chance against Rafa. He played a very good match against him in Hamburg, and he is very fit. He also played well in Rome before that. He had a very good clay season, just like me, just like Rafa.

So I think we are the three players at the top of the moment. Maybe the weather is going to make a difference for one of them. I don't know who is going to benefit from the weather, because probably the ball is not going to bounce as high as it does when the weather is fine.

But I think his game is very good to make it difficult for Rafa, yet Rafa is a favorite here, so it's going to be an interesting match.

As for our relationship? Nice. We talk to each other. I'm happy he is here for the future of tennis. At the moment, we ‑‑ everything's okay.

Q. People say you learn more from your defeats than from your victories. Would you say it's true? And if you think it's true, what did you learn from the matches you lost this year? What did you learn about yourself, about your tennis?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, yes and no. I learned a lot when I lost when I was younger, because I played matches and I walked out of the court, and I was sad, disappointed. I didn't know why I had lost the match.

Now it's easier for me to analyze why I lost a match. It has a lot to do with the level I played that very day. It's because something doesn't work, and I can't change it.

In the past it was different, but today I think I learned just the same thing whether I win or I lose. In the past I did learn more from a defeat, especially when you're young. You know, you need to gain experience, and when you lose, it is an experience.

wingster · 06-04-2008, 01:34 PM

i think so too...btw where do you get those interviews from?

*Catherine* · 06-04-2008, 01:46 PM

oh, just from the Roland Garros website itself. I figure alot of people dont bother to visit that, so why not just repost it here..

Federer v Gonzalez as it happened

and...one more pic..just because I love it