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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPENAugust 17, 2014Roger FedererCINCINNATI, OHIO R. FEDERER/D. Ferrer THE MODERATOR: Roger wins his 6th Cincinnati title and his 80th ATP career title. Questions, please. Q. What is it about this place that's worked so well for you over the years? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I think maybe the conditions and I feel comfortable here. Probably also a good week to play good tennis. Sort of second or third week into the hard court season. Yeah, and nice court. You know, I don't know. I really enjoy myself here. Combine all these things with a title, and I guess ‑‑ I don't know when it was my first time here, but kind of always made you believe that you can maybe do it again. So, yeah, it was my most successful Masters 1000, I guess. It has worked out really well for me. I'm very happy. Q. You played a very clean first set; got break and then had a number of break point opportunities to led off the second, and then that sort of got away from you. What happened early on in the second? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, let's not talk about the second set. This is a good day, you know. We can. I can dwell on it for like 30 minutes if you want and then the press conference is over and we talked about the second set rather than the good stuff. I think it started end of the first set. Saving all the break points was big for me. You know, getting that first set. I think that was David's best stretch as well at the end of the first. I thought it was quite even in the first set.  So it was big to win that one. Chances in the beginning of the second, but he did well to not make that happen. And then I just think he played a pretty good game to break, and then he played a great game to break again. Then it was 4‑0, quickly 5‑o. But I did get some momentum back I think at the end of the second set, even though I did end up losing it 6‑1. It all looked so brutal. I mean, but I had chances to quickly come back and maybe push it to 5‑2, 5‑3, and then you never know. I really thought I was feeling better again towards the end of the second set, like he felt better at the end of the first. I carried that over into the third and served great and was able to come up with some really good plays. Just overall I think I played a great match at the end. Q. What were you most pleased with for this week? The trophy? ROGER FEDERER: That it got better and better as the week progressed and that I served clutch when I had to. You know, backing up a tough week from last week, I didn't think it was possible. I was considering not playing for just a day or so on Monday. So just tonot go crazy here. We don't need to take chances here. I need to be smart about how much I play, when I play, and how do I feel. So I waited for Monday, Tuesday to see how I played. In practice I felt like I was recovering quickly, and give to a go. Play with less pressure, more with the confidence, and you never know how you end up feeling midway through the week. I think for David it was quite similar. He was quite tired after the tough beginning to the tournament. Next thing you know, we both end up in the finals with pure confidence and playing good tennis. So I'm very happy about the week. Just overall it went from good to great. Just really pleased that I was able to back up a tough week last week already. Q. (Question regarding Ferrer‑Federer head‑to‑head.) ROGER FEDERER: Well, obviously, yeah. But at the same time, I don't feel when I enter a match with him that I have that head to head.  I really don't. Especially today. I didn't think of it in any way. It was only at the trophy ceremony I realized, Oh, yeah, I never lost against him. I don't feel like that at all because I know how tough he is and how close sometimes winning and losing is. Today we saw it again like we saw it in Toronto. We've never played each other in slams, so from that standpoint, like I mentioned the other day, head‑to‑heads don't mean everything. I was happy I was able to win the title today. David played a great tournament as well. Wish him all best as well. Q. In some ways is it more difficult playing back‑to‑back 1000s like this as opposed to a major? Like you said, you considered maybe not playing because of the day‑to‑day play. Is it sometimes more difficult to play this one than a major? ROGER FEDERER: If you take two tournaments back to back, yeah, that's tough no doubt. I played ten matches now and lots of tennis; no rest days. The problem is with no rest days you just can't really recover.  You kind of can, but it's more difficult, you know. So the day you rest in between slams sometimes is gold. Then you play another match, could be three straight sets, you know, you don't have the tension because you're always in the lead for the entire match. Next thing you know you feel like you had three and a half days off somewhat anyway with practice. So I think this is tougher mentally and physically. Especially mentally. Coming out every single day and doing it again and again and again against quality opponents, it's extremely difficult. I been around. I know how tough it is to play back‑to‑back Masters 1000s. Always been a challenge for most players. Q. You talk about that challenge. With your resume, why do you keep doing it? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I don't know. I like it. I feel like I'm playing good tennis right now. Like you said, I could have just not played here and gone into the Open feeling good about my chances; now I feel even better, you know. On the flip coin, what was the other plan? Practice? Take a few days off? But then I have to grind out in the practice. I still believe matches are the best practice right now. I'm not going to fly back to Switzerland. So for me, I think any result was going to be a good one here anyway. Especially now I come in with great confidence. I can really rest now, rather than having to work on stuff. So it's just about maintaining. That's also really good for the mind. I can just enjoy New York for what it is and go out to the practice courts and do the opposite of what I had to do last year. Last year I went out there and did three‑hour practice sessions and went for extra practice sessions after matches sometimes. That I don't have to do. I know my game is where I want it to be. It's about just keeping that level up right now. Q. If you could talk a little bit about how things are clicking with Stefan right now and how that's working out and the affect it's having on your game. ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's very comfortable. I must say it's not awkward in any way. It could be. I don't know if you spent time with your idol, but for me it was quite different in the beginning getting used to that. It was not something I ever thought was going to happen. So I'm happy that the transition is in the past now. We sort of like each other's company. We don't get bored with each other. We enjoy talking about tennis, but then we don't talk tennis all the time. It's really comfortable. So from that standpoint he's been a big help. The hard work has been put in before he came on to the team clearly, especially last year. Like I mentioned before, I had to grind it out so much and I worked so hard to get back into shape. I'm happy he's been helpful in the process to get me back into winning ways really. So he's been great. Q. You've been clear of Sampras for quite a few years, and obviously Nadal is coming up. Do you look at Serena? You two are tied at 17 now. ROGER FEDERER: I didn't know that, no. So, no, totally separate to me. I don't know if it is to you, but to me it is. But it's great what she's doing, no doubt. It's great that she's still playing and winning. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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