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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 18, 2015Roger FedererINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA R. FEDERER/J. Sock THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Talk about the match, but also particularly Sock's forehand. What was that shot like coming at you? What did you feel about that? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's definitely got a lot of spin on it. Gotta get used to it a little bit, because the majority of the players don't play with that much topspin. Going in you know that he has that wicked forehand, so it's also a bit of a different mindset about it. And he disguises it well. You don't really see where he's going because his action is very quick. So I think I did very well actually being able to counter it and maybe neutralizing it a little bit. But I thought the first set was actually very good tennis. Then I was able to pull away with a quick break in the second set. And myself, I played a very clean match. I think I served great. I was also actually returning very well. That gave me the opportunity to stay in the match. Q. What is it like when you are playing somebody for the first time? Jack had made it clear that there was sort of an awe factor coming up against one of the big four. What was it like for you? You hadn't seen him before. ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's tricky, no doubt about it. It's different. You go into these matches, like I said, you think about the forehand, you think that he's young, he's got nothing to lose, he came back from injuries, played a wonderful tournament. He could just leave it all out there and go for it. I don't quite know his patterns yet. Clearly it's not like I don't care losing against a guy my age or who is 25, but still you try to also beat the younger guys too. Especially the first time when you play someone, maybe sort of try a little extra hard. Not that I tried harder today than other matches. I always feel the same way. But you do feel the pressure a bit more, even though I wasn't nervous going into the match. But players like Jack can surprise you in the way they hit the ball, the shot selection sometimes, and then he's got a very big serve. He has a lot of power, easy power. That can make it very difficult. Q. You go from playing somebody you have not really faced before and you don't know much about to somebody you know everything about. What are your thoughts on playing Tomas? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I don't know everything, but a lot. (Smiling.) Yeah, I mean, we have played on many occasions and especially over many years. I don't know when we played the very first time, but I have seen him‑‑ his game evolve. Seen how he established himself at a top 10. I think the first time we played probably was the Olympics. Probably in Athens where he beat me actually. So I have seen him for over ten years now. It's great. He's been able to establish himself in the top 10 consistently and made it quite easy for himself to be there. He has that easy power like we were talking about, like Jack has. Because he's been around for so long, he knows his potential. He knows as well it's important to know your limitations as a player so you don't pull off shots that are totally stupid. I think he does very well, and probably also with a new team now he feels eager to try out new things and maybe gives him extra energy. So I think it's going to be an interesting matchup for him having a new team in the back, really. Q. Bacsinszky said she was blown away that you knew she was on a 14‑, 15‑win match streak, that kind of thing. How much do you know of her back story and what she's been able to do this year? ROGER FEDERER: Maybe I know a little bit more than you guys just because I read Swiss papers sometimes, and that's where I have heard most of her stories, and as well from some Swiss players. I think my fitness coach or his wife used to work with her. I always remember hearing how difficult it has been for her. Then I remember just the situation when she retired. I was like, Are you serious? Retiring at 22? How far has the game gone? Everybody started retiring so early. So it was nice when I heard she was going to try to come back. I never thought she was going to get this high, but she has great potential, and I'm so happy for her now. She gets the reward of playing Serena here on center court, which I'm sure she's going to take it all in, because that's the kind of girl she is. She likes these occasions. I wish her well for the season now, because I think she finished the season outside of top 200 last year maybe or in '13, and now she's in the top 30, top 20 almost. It's unbelievable story actually. Q. You were just talking about the fact that you had nerves going out to the match against Sock. What sort of form do those nerves take? You want to be left alone? Butterflies in the stomach? How does it manifest? ROGER FEDERER: For me now? Q. Yeah. ROGER FEDERER: When I was younger? Q. No, now. You were saying you had nerves going out to play Sock. ROGER FEDERER: No, I wasn't actually as nervous as I could be. You feel those moments in the match where you're just like extra focuses, extra tense. But usually for me it's on the butterfly side, like your stomach is, Okay, this is a big moment, or this might be a big match. You know, I like having people around. I don't need to go in a corner all the by myself, you know, timeout style. I don't need that kind of thing. (Laughter.) Q.Is there a specific area of your game you were particularly satisfied with at the start of the tournament? ROGER FEDERER: Well, the thing is I really felt I was struggling with my rhythm in my first two matches. I think I talked about that yesterday, that I just felt like it was tough for me to control the ball. Seppi said the same thing at the net, just like not really feeling the balls. Normally you put too much spin on the ball you shank it. Sometimes is it just flies on you. I think it's been a difficult tournament for many players, because as you progress in the tournament you get more match court time, you get used to the balls better. Today was by far my best match, so I'm very happy how I was serving, in particular, when it was important, the beginning of the games. Then also on the return I was able to play both with the slice coming over and then even standing back. All three things worked. When that's the case, it's great as a player to know you have all these options when it comes down to the crunch. Q. What are your thoughts on Wayne Odesnik's ban? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I only heard it this morning, like all of you guys, I guess. What do you want me to tell you? I think it's good you catch guys who don't do things they shouldn't be doing. Players and athletes should know if they cheat, they get caught, I guess. That's the moral of the story here. I didn't know him at all, personally, to be quite honest. But I'm all for a clean sport, and that's why you've got to catch those guys who don't do the things they are supposed to be doing. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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