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WIMBLEDONJuly 12, 2015Roger FedererLONDON, ENGLAND N. DJOKOVIC/R. Federer THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How crucial was the tiebreak? ROGER FEDERER: It was always going to be tough for both players to start the first set, second set and third set. It's always a mental and physical challenge to keep going, keep going. We both I think had chances. I don't remember quite how it went. I think it went back and forth. I saved a couple of breakpoints early which I think was big for me to stay with him. Then I think I had chances myself maybe. Then he got the break on a forehand I should not miss. It was a different atmosphere then. Also from the crowd. Everything went into the breaker. You slowly got to build it up in the beginning of the third. But definitely were a few games where it was close for both guys. Maybe at the end the key of the match, but who knows. Yeah, definitely would have been nice to stay with him there at that point or even go a break ahead. Q. Did you feel a lack of energy going into the third and fourth set? ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I think maybe the rain came at a bad time for me. Maybe if it came earlier or much later, it would have been better. The way it was, I couldn't take advantage of it, even though I had a Love‑30 game shortly after I came back. But I actually felt fine. It was a little bit of a rushed rain delay. Out, back on. Try to speak to your team, try to relax, at the same time stay warm. It's not like hectic, but it's not the usual rain delay you have. They told us they were going to try to get us back out there as quick as possible. Still at the end of the day, I'm happy we were able to play the finals outdoors, because it is an outdoor tournament, not indoors. Of course the roof is nice to have, but it's perfect conditions playing that way as well outdoors, so it was nice. Q. When you look at the kind of competitor that you are, how and when are you able to separate the great run you've made from the disappointment of not getting it done today? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, fairly quickly. You know, I still think I had a great tournament. You can have good tournaments without winning, as well, at the end. I still won six matches, lost one. The ratio still remains very good. But of course you sort of walk away empty‑handed. For me a finalist trophy is not the same. Everybody knows that. Thankfully I've won here in the past, so it does not feel like I'm chasing anything. But clearly I would have loved to win today. There's no doubt about it. But like you said, I still think I can be very happy with the level of play. Even today, it was fine. Q. The crowd seemed to be overwhelmingly behind you today. How does it feel knowing you're so popular at Wimbledon, and arguably Britain's second favorite tennis player? ROGER FEDERER: It's great. It's such a huge part of the game, the crowds, wherever you go. So to have so much crowd support around the world, but also particularly here at Wimbledon, which is the Holy Grail. It's beautiful. I must tell you it means as much to me almost like winning because I've been around for a long, long time. I've played on the outside courts. As of late now it's been so much Centre Court or Court1, either one around the world. It's so cool when everybody gets involved, everybody appreciates you traveling to them. I appreciate when people travel to come see us. There was a great atmosphere out there. It's so much better to watch on TV, for us, the players to play, for them to be entertained. It's a huge part of the game, so I'm thankful. Q. Novak has described you as the greatest player in the history of the game. What are your thoughts on his place among the greats? ROGER FEDERER: Moving up. We don't know who is what, all these things. But he's clearly making a big name for himself, you know, having won as many times now as he has in these different slams. But also his streak at world No.3, 2, 1, keeping it up, keeping it going, winning a lot of titles time and time again. Staying injury‑free now for him is crucial. Clearly he's going to be one of the top guys. Where, we'll still have to wait and see. I'm sure he still has many more great years ahead of him. Q. After the way you beat Andy Murray, even the bookmakers changed their opinions because they were giving you almost even with Djokovic. When you won the second set, did you start thinking, I'm going to make it, or were you still doubting about yourself because you have Djokovic in front of you? ROGER FEDERER: Well, what the bookies say, they're not the experts. They don't know anything. So from that standpoint, doesn't matter. I didn't hear about it. Not one time have I ever listened to them. Q. Well, forget the bookies. ROGER FEDERER: For the tennis players, we don't care. I mean, you go into these matches, only maybe I think Novak, and I think you could hear it, when he hit the backhand down the line to get 15‑40, already a break up, that's probably the first time he thought, Okay, I'm probably going to win Wimbledon. So that's how long you got to wait. So at one set all, I'm not going to start believing this might be the end of it or the beginning of it. It's just the middle of the match. Happy that I won the second set, but still know that I'm, you know, a long way away. Not that far anymore because I only have to win two sets rather than three. But still, you know, we were 1 hour 45 into the match now. We both know what's going on. We're probably both somewhat happy how things are going because we're playing good tennis. Clearly I'm positive at that point. Q. What about psychologically? You saved seven set points. ROGER FEDERER: That's good. But then again, maybe I should have won the first set. So having one set all I guess was maybe a fair result at the end of the day to some extent. It was like a best‑of‑three set match starting at that point. A pity I couldn't make more of the momentum, I guess. Q. Can you compare the court conditions between your semi and today, how you adjusted, if that affected you at all? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, maybe slightly slower. Maybe. Just because conditions were cooler today, it seemed like anyway. Less sun. With the sun, the air is thinner, the ball goes faster. But the match wasn't played there. That's just giving you an answer. Q. Andy Murray told us last year, a loss here at Wimbledon felt worse for him because he felt this was the best chance for winning a slam. For you is the defeat here any different than the way you feel about it compared to other places? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it's no fun ever losing really, unless you know that you've entertained the crowd, you can be happy with your performance, and then you get it over quicker. But it doesn't mean, you know, you're not disappointed, or you just kind of move on easily from it. Some matches tend to be easier to digest. This one feels the case, just because the end of it. It was awkward, you know, having to shut the roof. You go take a shower. You come back for the ceremony. I was like, Give it to Novak. It's his moment. Okay, fine. Let's go take a shower, come back. So that was weird. I think that gave me a chance to also settle down and come back and have a much better idea of what actually happened out on court. Q. You spoke about not chasing anything. Clearly your record speaks for itself, and your level of play, too. When you assess your performance, in light of your streak recently of not having success in the Grand Slam events, how does that come into play? How does the absence of a Grand Slam in your résumé the last couple years affect you? ROGER FEDERER: It would have been nicer to win some than to lose some. At the same time I lost against the world No.1 at the moment. That's the kind of guy you probably can lose against. But I'm not going to accept it and say, It's normal. It's not. I've beaten him a few times. I'm one of the few guys that's gotten a chance. Same with Stan and a few guys that have given Novak a run for the money. Clearly I was always going to believe hard today that I was going to come through as the winner, but still always being humble knowing how tough it was going to be. I think I was able to show that on the court today, how close it really was. Even though at the end it might look routine, but I don't think that was the case. So, you know, 13 was always tough. 14 was always on the comeback. This here, this time last year, I started to play much better. That's why I made the finals I do believe. Also US Open was good. This was good again. Australian Open was a disappointment. So I'm right there. My game is good. I got broken very few times this tournament. I played on my terms. Things are all right. So it's just I ran into guys sometimes who just are really playing very well, maybe Cilic, or now even Seppi, today Novak again. Q. You're serving unbelievable Friday against Andy. Was it impossible to repeat today? Did you feel you have to win two finals to win the tournament? ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I did the reverse in 2012, beating Novak in the semis, beating Andy in the finals. If you can't manage that mentally, there's no reason playing tennis. I feel it was perfect preparation playing Andy in the semis because, like you said, it did feel like a final. But I was very much aware that that was not a final. Q. You haven't publicized much about what the rest of your schedule is going to be the rest of the year. Do you know yet how much more you're going to do this year? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, came down to today's result, just the last few weeks as well, seeing how successful I was going to play Paris, Halle and Wimbledon. Now I will be able to sit down, relax with the family, go on vacation, then probably decide in 10, 12 days' time. Also when I know what's happened with Davis Cup after September, seeing what the situation is for that, and then I'll decide what I'll play in the summer heading into the Open and after that as well. For me it's pretty clear, but I still just need to wait for some answers, and at the same time just recover and assess what's been going on really. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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