|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALSNovember 15, 2014Kei NishikoriLONDON, ENGLAND N. DJOKOVIC/K. Nishikori THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. At least you got a set. The beginning of the third set was important. You had breakpoints. Is it possible to beat Novak on this court? KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, I would say I was close, for sure. Even last set was bagel, I had couple chance first couple games. The first set he played really good, too good for me. But second set I start playing well. He got little bit tight. I took some risk. Everything worked well in the second. I was playing well. Even first couple points in third set, I thought I had it. I think I start thinking too much about he's No.1 player, Novak. I think I risked too much. I think I did too many unforced errors first couple games. Then he start playing better. You know, it's very disappointing because I think if I little bit change I could be I think little more closer in the third set. But it was good one week. Q. Did you have the feeling that he got frustrated by the support the crowd gave you today? KEI NISHIKORI: I don't know. I didn't see. Q. It's been an amazing year for you. You finished No.5. How does it match up with how you expected it to be at the beginning of the year? KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, it was, I mean, one of the best year for me. Even this was first experience, I think I did really well. Now, you know, little bit disappointed. I could go final, but he was little better. For sure that I have to do well this off‑season. I have to train well and injury‑free again. But, you know, I think I will have a lot of chance for big tournaments, especially Grand Slams. Hopefully I can come back to the final again. I love to play Australian Open. Hope I can have good start of the year next year. Q. You've had a lot of long matches this season. How much fatigue, either physical or mental, a factor this week and today in particular? How is your wrist? KEI NISHIKORI: Maybe mentally little bit tired because I had to fight couple tight moment, especially in Paris. I had to win couple matches to get in here. US Open was first experience to go final and play seven matches, five sets. But I think physically I show that I could, you know, play seven matches, play two times five sets. Still I was feeling okay. I think physically I'm getting strong. Yeah, I think it's going to be very important I do well this December, a lot of train, good practice, try to prepare for next year. Q. Do you think the Australian Open will be the first Grand Slam that you go into now feeling like you might be able to win? KEI NISHIKORI: For sure I will go try. It's not like I can come back to semifinal, final. It's no promise. Hopefully I can have good preparation December and have another good confidence. I think I will start Brisbane. It's going to be very important I have good off‑season. Q. You've played all the top players this year, Novak, Rafa, Roger, some of them pretty recently. Novak is No.1. Do you feel there's much of a gap between him and the other top guys in terms of his play and consistency or the margins still very thin? KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, for sure it's really tough to play these three players. Very consistent from the baseline. You know, like you see today, even he lost second set, he was still focus. He knows what he has to do, you know, to win. For sure that they have little more experience. It's always tough to play. But I think I'm getting really close. I beat Roger this year and also Novak, too. It's not like I can't beat them. So I think I'm getting close. Q. How is Novak compared to Roger and Rafa? KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, when he's playing well, I don't think anybody can stop him. But you see today, you know, he got little bit tight in second set. If I could, you know, stay there little more focus, then I think we have some chances to beat him. Q. You have created history for Asia so many times. We have very few Asian players on the tour. You compete in the same sport with players with western countries. You have differences with them, culture, language, food. Do you feel being a little different with most of the players? KEI NISHIKORI: I don't know. It's tough to compare with other players. I don't know. For me it's easier to live in U.S. and do good practice. Traveling is not too tough, you know, for me. Yeah, I always enjoy this tour. I can go different country every week. I was really enjoying this week, you know, in London. They have a good facility here. They bring whatever I want here. Restaurant is really well. I always try to enjoy every moment. Q. You played in the last week on this court Roger and Novak. If Roger wins tonight, and they play in the final, how do you see it going? What would they need to do against each other? KEI NISHIKORI: I don't know. Stan is playing well. I don't know what's going to happen. Yeah, it's going to be interesting if Roger and Novak plays. They both playing well, so... Yeah, we'll see what's happen tonight. Q. You won a lot of big matches this year. Roger and Novak have won a lot of big matches for many, many years. Do you have a new appreciation for what they've done now that you've been at that level, or close to it, yourself? KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, I really think about what they do. Is really amazing. Like Novak, Rafa, Roger, they win couple times a year in a row all the Grand Slams. Even for me, I had so much, like, stress, pressure in US Open, playing seven matches. I couldn't imagine how they handle the pressure and everything, you know, through the whole year. Especially the people staying No.1, I bet they have a lot of pressure. They have to always fight, not even on the court, but off the court, too. I think I need little more experience to get there. But, you know, I think also you get more motivation when you get more high ranking. For me also, I was really enjoying this year. So hopefully I can keep going like this next year. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|