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APIA INTERNATIONAL SYDNEYJanuary 14, 2015Juan Martin Del PotroSYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES J. DEL POTRO/F. Fognini THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. So you feel like you even played better today overall, yes? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, I thought I played better. I feel better on the court, especially in the end of the match. I serve well, I hit good forehands, and my backhands improved from yesterday to this match a little bit. I hit a lot of backhands from the baseline. I didn't play too many slices in this match. I think I'm doing in a good way. I need to keep playing with these guys, hitting the ball as fast I can, and keep trying. My wrist is the same. It's not getting worse, so I have confidence with that. Of course I'm very happy to beat my first top 20 player on the year. Q. So yesterday you were a little bit nervous, but today didn't look like you were nervous at all; just confident. JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I was nervous yesterday, not today, yeah. My first match was too many sensations before getting to the court. Today I did like normally, like a normal match. He was the favorite for sure, but I played very calm. I never give up, even losing the first set. I think the crowd also help me to keep fighting and enjoy all of the things too much. Q. Fognini seemed to be targeting your backhand. I imagine you expect players to do that to you for the next however long it's still an issue. How will you cope with that tactic used against you? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, I'm just trying to do my game. My game is serve strong and hit and try to make winners with my forehand. If my backhand is okay, I will be aggressive too with my backhand in the future. But now I think I have to put it on court, just to hit the ball as better I can, and don't try to make winners with my backhand at this moment. I just need to play a lot of backhands during the point, and if I do that, I will get confidence very soon to play aggressive as well. Q. At the end of the first set you were holding your wrist. How does it feel now? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I'm feeling okay. It was nothing dangerous. Because I sweat too much and the tape goes out, but nothing special. Q. The trainer came on after the first set and used the spray. JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: It's like spray to bring the tape. Q. Not to take pain out of the wrist? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, no. It's not the magic spray. Q. There was a time violation issued against you in the last set. What were your thoughts on that? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Because the time. Q. Yeah. Were you upset? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Because I'm not ready for serve. But nothing. It's my first warning on tour after my surgery. He's a good umpire anyway, and it doesn't matter if he called warnings or something like that. I'm trying to do my tactic all the time and take time. This is my second match on tour after one year. I need to breathe for than the other players. Q. When you decided to play this tournament, I think you hadn't really hit with a lot of tour players until that point. What was it like to jump back in and start playing matches so quickly? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: The most important thing is I wanted to be here and play tennis again in these kind of tournaments. My wrist was better than before, than the beginning of the year, and I decided to came and try to play. But of course I'm not feeling ten points; I'm not feeling like in the beginning of the last year for sure. But for me play two matches in this week is amazing. I didn't expect be in quarterfinals in my first tournament. All of the things are amazing for me. That's will give me motivation for the future. Q. Are you impressed by how well you played with so little practice? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, of course. I am impressive. My coach are impressive, too. I think not many people expect this comeback from me. But everybody has to know it's a long, long road to be in good shape again. This kind of result doesn't mean too much for me. I know how tough is the comeback on tour and after one year without competition, so I have to stay calm and be patient. Q. I guess all the other top players would have been waiting to see how you went in the first couple games. Do you think having seen you they'll be a bit more cautious going into Melbourne? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: For them? Q. Yeah. JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No. They were playing much better than me for sure. I am exciting to meet them again and also watch these games live, not on TV, because they're great players. Maybe if I'm healthy and I'm working hard they can be scared with me in the future, but we never know what could happen. Q. Did you watch the US Open final last year? I know obviously you won 2009, right? Nishikori and Cilic. Was that a surprise to you, seeing Federer and Djokovic... JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I think was surprise final for all the world. But they deserve to play the finals. They beat Djokovic and the other beat Federer. I was happy for them, because we were grow up together from juniors. They are great players, great persons, and I think for the tennis it's good when different names win in a big tournaments. Q. So you feel like with Nishikori, he's No. 5, maybe he can win a Grand Slam now?  Looks like he's fairly good, no? JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, of course. Him; Cilic can win another one. Wawrinka. They are dangerous players for the top guys. They showing how can play tennis in important tournaments. But obviously Federer are playing for be No. 1 in the world again. Djokovic is still playing really well. Rafa is coming back too. Murray finish really well last year. So they going to have to play really, really good tennis to break that Top 4, Top 5 guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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