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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 24, 2016

Tomas Berdych

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

T. BERDYCH/R. Bautista Agut

4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How do you feel about that match. Looked like a really tough fight.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yes, it was a tough fight. It's always kind of a fight with Roberto.

Yeah, I mean, he improves quite well in the last couple of months, playing some good tennis. It was not an easy one.

Yeah, I'm pleased with the way I handled the match. I was playing well tactically with the right game plan. It was a good challenge for me.

Q. Did he take you by surprise at all?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, no. Definitely not surprised. I mean, I saw him play. I saw him play, you know, even last year when he played quite a good matches with Novak at the Open and a couple of others. So definitely not surprised.

I mean, I know that he's capable of playing some good tennis. Very difficult game style. You have to really work your game around it, play some good ball to be able to win.

Q. Does it help to get tested like that before you go into the quarters, or would you rather have spent much less time on court?
TOMAS BERDYCH: It's always two sides of the view on that. I mean, one is if everything goes smooth, you're winning in straight sets, it's good, you save some energy. If not, it's all you have to do. I mean, no matter if it's one-and-a-half hours or three-and-a-half hours, you just have to fight for the win. Today I have to fight more.

It's good. I mean, it was a good test. I'm feeling quite good after the match. So I think it's good to have a test like that.

Q. Gilles Simon was telling us he felt when he was about to play Novak the whole locker room was behind him because the locker room is sick of Novak winning all the time.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Wow.

Q. Is that the sense? Is everyone waiting for Novak to lose?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, no. Definitely not. Not in my eyes. I mean, that's quite a tough call to say, I would say. I mean, all the things that are just happening, it's going to be my case, just playing him. I'm going to try to do the best possible I can to beat him. But that's it.

I mean, with all the respect to him, how well he's playing, what he's able to achieve, that's just how good he is.

But, no, I don't really have that thought what Gilles said.

Q. Everybody expects you to play Federer. Maybe you expect it, too. What can you tell me about David Goffin?
TOMAS BERDYCH: It's a very talented guy. He's playing very solid from the baseline. Playing some good tennis. You know, let's see. I think it's still going to be an interesting match tonight.

Yeah, he's a good player.

Q. Will you watch?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I will watch definitely some of it. I don't know how much. Depends how long it goes, how it is. I mean, doing my recovery in the room, just before I go to sleep definitely I'm going to watch.

Q. I think you played David once at US Open a long time ago.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah.

Q. Have you followed his improvements? What can you say about it?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I mean, it's been a while that we play a match. I think there has been one drop since we played. At that time he was already coming kind of up. There was something which was get him a little bit down in the ranking, or not that way that he was climbing up. So I don't know really what happened there, if was some injury or anything. I was not really in detail on that.

But now, you know, I mean, he's a top-20 guy and playing some good tennis. I mean, got the Belgium team to the final of Davis Cup and having some really good results.

So, yeah, I mean, he's definitely one to be looking for. If I get on court with him, I just going to have to be careful.

Q. If it's Roger in your next match, talk about the challenge of facing Roger at this point in his career.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I think he's playing really well, especially in the last season. He's become a very, very danger opponent, as always he is. I mean, it's always difficult to say something else or something new. I mean, it's Roger, so it's always going to be a huge challenge to play him. It's the quarterfinal of a slam.

Yeah, I like it. I like my chances. I'm just looking forward to that match.

Q. It's your sixth straight quarterfinal here. What do you think it is about this year that will make you go further, one up on last year?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, if it's written somewhere, then I would like to read it. But I don't think it is. So I'm just going to stick with the things that I'm doing right now. I think it's been a great preparation. It's been a great start of the season. So far the first week has been good, as well.

I'm just going to try to do the same thing. I don't think there is any miracles waiting. I'm just have to believe in myself that all the work that I've done, it's the right one, and I'm strong enough and competitive enough to also beat those guys.

Q. You're wearing your wedding ring. Do you also play with it?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, no, I don't play with it. Especially with the double-handed backhand, it's...

Q. It really affects the feeling you have when you hit?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah. I mean, it's because when you hold the grip, the thing is that I just want to have it slightly bigger because I knew that when I tried it, especially with my backhand, it was just on the hand not feeling, you know, the way that you want to. Especially you might play like five sets, it could be more humid. If you just make a blister like that, that's not a thing you want to have, especially on the court.

So, no, I put it right down just before I go play. It's the first thing I do still on the court. No, it's just for that time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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