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WIMBLEDONJuly 8, 2015Roger FedererLONDON, ENGLAND R. FEDERER/G. Simon THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How does it feel to be back here in the semifinals playing Andy at Wimbledon? Which memories does it bring back from the summer of 2012? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, you said it. It brings back those memories of a great summer for both of us. Yeah, just all the matches we've played against one another. More importantly for me, yeah, like you said, I'm very happy to be in the semis again. The road is long getting here. But still I feel like I'm fresh and I've got energy left in the tank for hopefully a great match with Andy and then we'll see. But I'm looking forward to it. Q. It's difficult to compare because you played so long, but you look as if you're playing as well and with as much ease as you've ever played. Is that how you feel? ROGER FEDERER: The results really are the ones that are going to answer that question. If I go out in the semis, then definitely not, you know. But if I do make it to the finals, then we can talk about that. It's been good so far. I felt like I played a very solid last year or so, especially on the grass I've done very well. I'm happy to keep it up here now. This is obviously now crunch time when you want to show if your game's really up to par. Q. The summer of 2012, what are the memories that have stayed with you the most from those matches with the different results against Andy? Then your most recent match in December in the ATP year end? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, the finals, there was a lot on the line with Andy. I think he was going for his first Wimbledon in '12. So obviously it was always going to be tough. He had lost some majors before that. But I knew it was going to be difficult for me, too, because we were both playing very well. Very much at home on Centre Court, on grass. We both play very well. So, yeah, I mean, it was tricky because there was rain, then the roof closed I think midway through the second. I don't remember, maybe the third. So that was tricky I remember. Then the Olympics was just a different vibe altogether. It was I guess tougher to make the finals because it was best‑of‑three, not best‑of‑five getting to the finals. Once there, with the epic I had against del Potro, I was just a bit weathered, you know, from that match, but very relieved that I was going to make a medal for Switzerland. I thought Andy played as good of a final as you can play. Never really had a chance. Don't remember even if I had breakpoints or chances in the second. Honestly, it all went by so quickly. He was just better. That was it. I was happy that I played still a good Olympics after all. But there's nothing I could really do. Then I thought World Tour Finals, he came in tired. You know, he had won three tournaments back‑to‑back‑to‑back. He left everything out there, making the World Tour Finals. I think when I played him, he was a bit cooked, to be honest. I played a great match, but it was not the Andy that usually comes up and shows up. Q. You set a record for yourself holding serve for 116 consecutive service games. How pleased are you with your serving? Are you aware of these streaks while you're playing? ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I've heard of it. But then again, I don't keep count when I'm out there. I'm just trying to focus on the next service game, on the next point, the next serve. I'm happy it lasted as long as it did. At the same time, I'm also relieved that I did get a break. I guess we're not going to talk about that anymore and I can just focus, even in here, on the normal things. Not whether I'm going to hold serve or not. Because holding serve is not going to really do much for now. But it's been a great streak. It goes to show what I'm doing off the baseline on my serve, or serve‑volleying, the way I'm hitting it and placing it seems to work, especially on the grass now. Q. If we could continue talking about it for one more moment. Is there something when you're in a match, maybe at the beginning of a match, that lets you know your serve is as good as it can be and that you're going to have a successful day? ROGER FEDERER: No, not really. I mean, it could be great for the first two service games. Next thing you know, you get a bad service game, or the other guy picks the right sides, connects well. You make some mental errors or some unforced errors. You get a little bit unlucky on the grass. That can happen very quickly. So, I mean, let's be honest, the serve is not just the serve. So much more to it. But I know you guys can talk about shot placement of the serve. The serve is only as good as your baseline game after as well, how good you cover the rest. I don't serve 140s, let's be honest. I have to work my way through those service games. Q. Against Gilles, you haven't lost to him in a long time. You've beaten him six times in a row. What is it about his game that perhaps suits you? Is it the flat ball that comes to your favorite height level, the speed of the ball, his serve? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I might probably disagree with you that just because I beat him six in a row now means I love to play the guy. He's a tough player to play against. Swirly out there today. Didn't quite know if that was going to work for my serve and how good does he really return on grass. I hadn't known that before. I've had some tough matches with him at the French and at Australia, as well, over five sets. He's been tough for me. I still feel that even though today was a convincing win, I still think he's tough for me. Q. There's a photo of you earlier today looking out on some of the matches from a balcony on the grounds. Stan is playing now. How much tennis do you watch during a tournament when you're still active? How much do you watch when you're not active at a tournament? ROGER FEDERER: So right now I watch quite a bit just because I also kind of want to know what's been going on a little bit. That's why I've been checking scores. I don't know the Djokovic score. Yeah, I try to be aware. I watch it more as a fan than trying to analyze Gasquet now or Cilic or Murray. I really just watch it more because it's nice to watch good matches. Then once the tournament is over, I'm home, I don't watch any tennis at all. It's pretty much in phases. So, yeah, I enjoy it now. Q. You watched the French Open final on the phone? ROGER FEDERER: Not very much. I was sitting next to the president of the club. I checked in and somebody took a picture. It wasn't like I was watching the whole thing. I would have liked to, but it would have been a bit disrespectful toward my soccer team as well. Q. How did the rain delays affect you? ROGER FEDERER: I think actually it was good. Good for me. I don't think it's good for anybody. I kept rolling in the first set. Second set, I came out, served great at 6‑5, 15‑Love. Ran away with it in the beginning of the third, as well. So today I don't want to say it came in handy, but I definitely came out with the right game plans. It's clearly nice also in a rain delay, you can argue the other way, but it's nice to be in the lead so you're more relaxed in the rain delay rather than too concerned. But also when you're down, it can be helpful to just talk to your team. I'm happy I came out and kept serving well. Actually a really good serving day. You're never quite sure if that's going to continue. I had a good rhythm. Q. When you play Andy, even in London you seem to get a lot of crowd support. How would you expect that to pan out on Friday? How much of a difference does it really make? ROGER FEDERER: Well, I just hope the crowd gets into it and enjoys a good match and that we can play well. Yeah, I have received a lot of crowd support over the years, and so has Andy. So it really probably depends a little bit on who is in the crowd there that day and who they prefer to win. But they're always very friendly and fair. I've always enjoyed playing here, even against Andy, of course. Q. During the BBC commentary of Andy's game, there was a debate of whether his second serve was good enough against the top players. That is an area you might target when you play him? ROGER FEDERER: We'll see. He's beaten me before with that second serve. Can't be that bad. He's beaten so many guys so many times. You know what I mean? He covers it very well. He's fast on his feet. He reads it well. One of the greatest return players we have in the game. He's got a great first serve. We'll see. I haven't seen enough, like I said, here of Andy, to be quite honest. Some, probably the most against Karlovic. Yeah, it's tough to judge that, you know. He came through convincingly again, so he must be playing well. Plus he won Queen's. He's in full flight right now. Q. You've had the experience seven times of looking at the trophy and seeing your name on it. When you look at that, what goes through your mind? ROGER FEDERER: I don't look at it, to be honest, because the trophy, you only get to see it for an hour. That's what we all play for, funny enough (smiling). But there is some boards around with winners' names, and even those I don't look at. I'm very proud of my achievements here, don't get me wrong. But it's not like something I walk around beating my chest saying like, I'm great here. I don't see it that way. I see it more as a privilege being here. Q. You played here now in three decades. ROGER FEDERER: You make it sound worse than it is (laughter). Q. I'm wondering looking back on those years what you see as the most outstanding characters of this tournament venue? ROGER FEDERER: Just that tennis always seemed to be doing well, you know. Every champion who won this event has walked away with a memory of a lifetime. Plus even the ones who didn't still felt it was a privilege to play here, still were marked by it. I once said, just by playing Wimbledon alone would have given me so many moments and memories in my life, there would have been plenty. Okay, I went around the world and play another thousand matches around the world. But the matches I played here were always very, very special. In '99 or just today, it's still very cool to play. I feel like the tournament has changed and became more modern, the roof, rebuilt the entire Centre Court, more digital now, more social media now. Everything has come alive. It's changed quite a bit since. New courts have been built. They're really pushing forward and trying to stay up with what's going on in the world. Yeah, but still keeping the tradition, which I think is so important here at Wimbledon. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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