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ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2015

Tomas Berdych

PARIS, FRANCE

T. BERDYCH/Y. Nishioka
6-0, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. I know you didn't know much about him before the match, but actually what did you know about him?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, yeah, I watch couple of videos which I could find just to see some of his games and some of his tennis. I think that was enough for me to see. And especially also the way that the match is best-of-five sets, so you have plenty of time to figure it out what's going to happen and what's the style of the opponent. Yeah, I think I'm quite experienced to play guys for the first time and know how to deal with that, so I don't think that was a big deal at all.

Q. The ATP 250 tournaments have formed an alliance to become more popular with the players. What can the 250s do to appeal to the top 10 or 20 players to play more often?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Wow. Okay, we go completely other way. What they can do better? I'm not probably the right person that I should talk in behalf of the tournaments, what they should done or not done. I mean, I think it's set up as it is, and it's also part of our mandatory weeks that we have to do. So as long as I know -- and the one that I play so far this year was quite packed. It was the one in Doha. Then I think the season is quite packed with the tournaments; they are just the higher level. It's always about the priority, what you want or which way you want to take your schedule. Even myself, I think I have options to play more of those. But, I mean, just the way that I want to move myself higher in the ranking is just the way that I need to play more of the big events. That's it. I don't think that there is any significant things to be done or changed. Maybe we can talk about it, but I don't think I'm well-prepared for your question right now.

Q. Okay. Sorry.
TOMAS BERDYCH: That's all right.

Q. You've had some good years at the French Open but also some tough losses in the first round. This year you're playing maybe your best tennis. You are very consistent. I want to know, what is your mindset this year at the French Open?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, so if you're asking, so I pass my first round, which is good now, so... No, I think I just came into the tournament after a very, very good weeks on the clay especially, which is very important to me. Been playing a lot of the matches, win a lot of them, and also in between those weeks I had a very good preparation. So everything has been aimed for this tournament, but, still, you know, it's one of the slams, and I definitely want to go and do well. My main focus is really being ready, being prepared for every single match that it's waiting for me, and trying to improving myself every game that I go on court. I'm feeling well. I'm feeling physically, mentally strong, and that's the best possible start that I can have. Just now be patient, keep working for the two weeks, and try to go as far as I can.

Q. Well done today. You've got a good seed, but still you're not really being spoken about as a potential champion. Quite a low-key favorite. Are you used to this? Does it annoy you? Do you think you should be talked about as one of the people to beat?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I mean, there is the fact that there are other guys who has Grand Slam titles and I don't have. That's a fact which it is, and the only thing I can do about it is try to change that, you know, just try to take my chances. That's all I can do about it.

Q. Do you feel happier with your form coming into this tournament this time? You have spoken about you've got lots of experience when it comes to playing players for the first time. Do you think that will help in particular this year?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, I don't think it's a big deal about it. I mean, it's just the way that you have to handle those matches. That's it. That's what I did for my first round. No, I'm feeling generally quite happy and quite good about my tennis, my direction, what it goes. Yeah, everything is going smooth so far.

Q. Nishioka plays at Roland Garros first time main draw. What do you think about his play today? I think second set was a little bit close between you. So how do you look back?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I mean, second set was close. I was just trying to get my chances and just trying to figure it out, find the right rhythm and try to hit the ball as clean as possible. That's it. I mean, he's a very talented young guy; moving very well. But he definitely is going to need to get stronger in the sense of for his future and to be competing on the higher level. But definitely the movement is a good point, and then he needs to move on from there.

Q. You talked about being a very experienced player; there have been questions about the Grand Slam titles and so on. What do you think other details you need to improve to be able to win a Grand Slam? Is there anything, little details you can still change?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Even if they are, I will not talk about them. I'm not really a person talking about details, especially in my game. I think that's the thing that needs to stay with my team and with the guys that I'm working on and not being shared with all the audience. So that's what I'm doing. That's what my daily goals are. That's it. That's the thing of working hard and having the self-belief that one day it can come up.

Q. During many years it seemed that the Grand Slam titles belonged to the big four. Last year Wawrinka and Cilic each won one Grand Slam. I wanted to know, for guys like you or maybe Jo Tsonga, guys that have been very close sometimes, is it exciting to see that it doesn't belong to the big four, or were you convinced before that you can be a Grand Slam champion?
TOMAS BERDYCH: I think it's just good for them. It's good for whoever wins the slam, and that's it. It just show the picture of today's tennis. That's exactly how it is. The results are the best picture of the game. You know, I mean, being closer or not closer in the end it doesn't really matter. Just the winners are counting, and that's how it is.
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