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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 15, 2015Roger FedererINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA R. FEDERER/D. Schwartzman THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Earlier in the week you sounded a bit concerned about getting out and practicing and getting used to the conditions. How did it go today with that in mind? ROGER FEDERER: I'm very happy. You know, I had a horrible headache when I had to do the press the other day, so I'm feeling way better. I'm happy I got the first match out of the way. I was feeling really good in practice, actually. I got the hard work in, good quality. And today I actually thought, you know, I'm moving well, which is key on this surface because the easy shots and easy points are not going to happen so easily here like they maybe do in Dubai or Australia or the indoor season. So I always have to adjust my game accordingly. Schwartzman can be tough. He can take time away from you and take charge from the baseline. I was happy I was trying at least. I was successful playing on my terms. There are certain things I can do better, but for a first round it's a good start. Q. I appreciate that it's a different type of tournament, different city and all that sort of stuff. How much do you look forward to playing Seppi? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I'm happy to play him again. I was very disappointed with the performance I had in Australia. I know he can play well and can beat me. That's not the problem. It was the way I was hitting the ball. I wasn't playing very committed. I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to hit my forehand and backhands. It was just a tough match overall and the match slipped away from me. So it was disappointing. I really thought Seppi did a good job and nice job of putting the pressure on me, as well. Because we all know how well he can hit his forehand and backhand and how steady he can be. I hope this time around it's going to go better for me. I will be prepared. There is no doubt about that. I'm happy I'm getting an opportunity to play him right away again. Q. You played doubles yesterday. I think I saw you say regarding Davis Cup you didn't know the tactics in doubles were so extreme. I was wondering if you could explain what that meant and what kind of adjustments you make going from singles to doubles? ROGER FEDERER: Well, it was something that David said. I mean, I know there is obviously tactics in doubles, but I was surprised at times against certain players that there are such unbelievable patterns to follow. I do believe that when things are‑‑ conditions are fast like they were yesterday, there is only so much tactics you can talk about. It's just the big difference I think in doubles is that, you know, you go for your returns at all times, in my opinion. Whereas in singles, because nobody serves and volleys anymore, you can get the first return in and then either you go into the grind or you take‑‑ you go for the big shot on the second shot. So I think for the singles players sometimes it's quite a change. Obviously serving and volleying at all times is also something we don't do that often, and that's why sometimes it's good to play it. I really enjoy it still at times, but I've got to be in the right mindset. I have to be prepared the right way that I actually can enjoy it. Otherwise it's just walking around and going through the motions, and then you know you made a bad decision playing doubles. In recent years I have improved that mindset, because I did go through the motions sometimes in the past. Q. I just saw that were asking some of your hockey friends what they thought about the Mayweather‑Pacquiao fight. Can you talk about your thoughts about the fight, and did you also get a chance to meet either of the fighters? Andy said he met Manny last year. ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I haven't met any of them. I'm not too crazy about boxing, to be quite honest. It's too brutal. (Laughter.) I stopped when Tyson stopped kind of thing. That was for me the end. So I will try to follow this one. I don't have a preference necessarily. I just thought it was ‑‑ with Selänne we were looking for a fourth guy. I was like, Let's pick one of the two boxers. Everybody is talking about them. Obviously it's a big hype around this match now, and for obvious reasons. I will try to follow it as well, even though I'm not crazy for it. Q. I caught the end of the Justin Gimelstob interview. He asked you about your longevity. You said you sort of planned it this way. I just want to get it straight. Can you expand on that or go into that? ROGER FEDERER: Well, the idea was always trying to be around the game for a long time. And for that in 2004 when I became world No. 1, I took a decision with my fitness coach, Pierre, at the time that we're going to plan long term. Whatever we will do, we will plan long term. Sure, we can chase money or more tournament victories. We can play more frequently, more often, train harder, whatever we will do. But we decided we will try to stay around 20 tournaments during the year, which is a lower number. Now if you look at the top guys we all play pretty much about the same. If you look back, Kafelnikov, he used to play 30, 32 events back in the day. I said that's not something I really want to do. If I play, a want to play good. I want to play injury‑free if possible. But of course all the top guys, we also play hurt. But the goal was to stay around for a long time. I think I did get inspired by seeing, you know, 32 year olds, 35 year olds, and actually I felt they almost did me a favor that I could play against them. Would they have retired at 28, I would have never seen them on tour. I would have never played against them. My best memories are against the guys I used to see on TV. It's not like I'm doing the young guys a favor to still be around, but I think down the stretch it might be appreciated. For me, it was important trying to stay around for as long as possible, because I do love the game. I'm happy that the plan worked, that at 33 I'm still being super competitive and healthy and happy to be on tour. Q. You're having a very good year. How do you feel physically? And about your Team 8 Global Agency, do you have any expectancy to sign new athletes? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, the year has gone very well. The question was? Q. How are you feeling physically? ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I'm feeling really good, actually, because I took a major vacation after the Seppi match. So I took 17 days off. You know, a little bit of maintaining, but the majority of the days were just not doing anything other than, you know, running around with my kids and taking care of them and, you know, spending time with my wife and my mom who came on vacation, too. So we had a great time. Which heals some problems in your body, which is important for me to make sure I do get the rest. And then with the agency, I mean, it's Tony's agency, really. I'm just a client. So he might have plans. I hope he has plans, because he's very excited about Team 8; so am I. Things are going very smoothly. Clients seem happy, which is great. Q. You were just talking about longevity. Are you still learning about how to play and changing things, or has that now plateaued? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I have played in humidity; I have played in wind; I have played against big servers, you know, fast guys. I have seen it all, basically. But of course you always have to adjust every time you come back to another event. Even though I have been here 15 times, it's not like I have only played this tournament. Every time I come from another place, from another continent. I have to keep on adjusting. I think that makes it more fun, to be honest, that way. I still believe I can improve my game in what shape or form that is. I'm not going to discuss it here, but I think you have to try to reinvent yourself. I think tennis is actually one of those sports where I feel like you can always do better. Whatever you do, you can either serve harder, serve more precise and all that for longer periods of time. Maybe not just an hour or two or three, but every single day. So when you go on a practice court as a tennis player, I think there is always something you can do. Most of the time you actually feel like you don't have enough time to improve your game. So I won't say it's frustrating anyway, but I find it very interesting. Q. Have you tried to talk with Martin the last few days? What you do you think about the situation created by him and Davis Cup? ROGER FEDERER: I don't know who you are talking about. Juan Martin Del Potro? Q. (Indiscernible.) ROGER FEDERER: Oh, from Switzerland? Two different situations. Similar problems. (Laughter.) Davis Cup. Yeah. No, I haven't spoken to him. I don't know him very well, to be quite honest. I only saw him four days with Davis Cup in Geneva, and I have seen him sporadically at some of the Grand Slams and some of the tournaments. I only have followed it from afar. Severin and my physio who was the physio during the tie told me about what happened and why the decisions. Yeah, team comes first. Clearly if you don't think that way, there is no role and no place for you to be in. I think it's difficult situation for him now. I think it's important for Swiss tennis and the captain to take the right decisions moving forward, because this kind of a behavior is not acceptable, in my opinion. But I'm out of it, so I will just follow it. Because I have no say. I'm not involved. It was disappointing to see from afar because you don't want to see that happening, but it's the second time it happened now in a few years with separate players. Clearly the players need to get the message that's not how it goes. Q. We are starting to see a few younger players coming up. I was wondering if you recall yourself when you're watching yourself and how you compare yourself now at that age? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I like to see young guys coming up and seeing them being unbelievably excited about a first round and a new place or playing on the big stage. It's great to see that. Of course I see myself, you know, when I used to be the same. Finally you made it to center court. You made it to like playing in front of live audience, big audience, live TV. Everybody is probably playing a little bit better than if they would be put on Court 18. It's normal. I like to see them grow up in the spotlight and see how they handle the press, handle the fans, handle practice on a daily basis, but also the matches. Whereas, you know, trying to refocus point for point, I think it's not always so easy. But, yeah, I think for all of us, we wish there were more teenagers in the game, because I find you get so much information in a short period of time from them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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