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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2016

Fernando Verdasco

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

F. VERDASCO/R. Nadal

7-6, 4-6, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk about the win in terms of the epic 2009 match. How often have you thought about that match? Did you think this moment would ever come?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Well, you know, there is many questions there.

Of course, I thought many days, many times about that semifinal. You know, it was my longest match ever. It was my first time in semis, and after that also.

You know, it was of course tough match to lose after five hours and almost 50 minutes, 40 minutes.

I didn't really thought about like I would have another match five sets against Rafa here in Australia. I mean, you never know.

But I honestly didn't think about having another chance or having something like what happened today, no?

Also, I think today's match was kind of like very similar in terms of even games in the sets, going to a five set. But, you know, of course the beginning of the fifth I was for a second thinking about that semifinals. I was like, Please, I don't want to lose, you know, with a double-fault in 5-4, 30-40.

He start breaking my serve. After that, I start playing, like, really good, hitting very hard serve, forehand, and don't making many mistakes. So, you know, very happy with the way that I finished the match.

Q. Was it a little frustrating? This great career but you're known for this incredible loss.
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Still now they come to me telling me like how good I play seven years ago. I'm like, you know, I didn't play again after that? Even last night they told me at the hotel. I'm like, I play against him tomorrow again.

So, yeah, many times they came to me and tell me about that match. But, you know, I'm just happy of how I play today. That was long time ago. Now I will try to enjoy this victory, you know, with my team, have a nice dinner, and then tomorrow also for one day.

After that, start thinking about the next game, no? Is a big difference. There was semifinals; now is first round. It's just the beginning of the tournament. You know, hopefully, like I said, after the match I will keep it up playing like today and hopefully do a good tournament.

Q. After the match, did Rafa say anything to you?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Well, he told me - let me translate in my brain - like well done; you played really good. So I said, like, you know, thanks, because at the end we have like a really good relationship outside the court. We have been playing doubles last year after many years being professional.

You know, is tough to play against him in first round when you are just thinking about playing a few tournaments with him. At the end, you know, you just going out there during the time of the match and try your best. You fight for your things and he fight for his.

You know, it is what it is in tennis. It's like that, no? But like if I have to choose, I will choose many other players before playing against him. We were just talking the day before on the text messages about which tournaments we can play. Then when I saw the draw, I was like, Oh, that's unlucky.

Q. Were you talking also about the Olympic Games to play together or not?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No. I mean, in that conversation, no. We were talking about like which tournaments we will play. There is a little bit everything in the air. But hopefully we'll play few tournaments, and if we feel good playing together, have the chance to play in the Olympics.

Q. Are you aware there's an article on the Internet which shows unusual betting patterns around the first sets of several matches of over the last year suggesting you might have not been trying your hardest in those sets?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Yes. There is many things that they said about someone. You know, at the end we know that all that is out there and we will fight like to change that.

But is hard, no? At the end there is many people in this world, and is impossible to control everyone.

But, you know, we are trying -- like if for me was it, ^ I would take out the betting. But I can't take it out. So, you know, I don't have that power. We are trying to fight against that. I cannot really say anything more, no?

Like I said, it's tough to control what everybody says.

Q. A lot of players have been asked this question that I'm about to ask you.
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Yeah, I heard.

Q. Have you ever been approached?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No. Myself, no.

Q. Rafa said he hadn't seen you play like that, so well, in the past months. What do you think made you play like that today?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: I don't know. Some inspiration (pointing to the sky).

Honestly, I work hard this pre-season. It was a long one for me. I think I work pretty hard trying to be as best as possible for this season - not only for this tournament, of course. And to be ready to play five-set matches against the best players in the world and be ready for that.

And today I was feeling very good the whole match physically. Even the fifth set, like I said at the beginning, is the best set of all five that I played, no, after the 2-0.

Very happy for all the work and all the suffering during that pre-season. Is going to make me enjoy today's victory even more. But, like I said before, also know that is still only first round and I will have another match Thursday. In 24 hours I will start thinking about that match again.

Q. Unforgettable Davis Cup final back in Mar Del Plata in 2008. Was it the start of your belief that I'm going to do great stuff in tennis?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: That was a pretty important point in my career. I did a pretty good 2008 year. I finished the year 16. Of course, that final give me an extra boost for the beginning of 2009, doing semifinals here, then quarterfinals in all the Masters Series till Roland Garros.

It was very important moment for me be confident and made me believe much more in myself.

Q. When you were playing towards the end, did you have a little cramp or something?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: What?

Q. You were never cramping tonight?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No.

Q. Did you think seven years ago you were not aggressive enough maybe in the fifth set and that's why you took so many chances in the fifth this time, or not?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Maybe not as aggressive as today because I would like to see the statistics on the fifth set, about how many winners I did, how many aces, percentage, and all that.

But I can think that I did it like pretty good to do six games in a row against Rafa. I think in that match -- I saw the match many times on TV after. I was aggressive with my serves. Maybe I needed a little bit more in the return. But with 4-4 I have Love-30 on second serve.

I think in that point of the match, that it was a key point to maybe break and serve for the match. Maybe I was a little tight. I miss a backhand to the net. I was not, of course, as aggressive of today.

After he came back in that game from Love-30 and win his serve with 5-4, then he broke my serve and won the match. Today I was just like trying to be as aggressive as possible, but also not like so crazy.

Sometimes if you do like what I did today, you put all the balls outside, it's like, This guy's crazy. He just hit everything and he miss. But when they are coming in, you play unbelievable.

The difference is just so little and can be so big.

Q. How many times have you watched that match?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Many. I don't know. Maybe 10 times.

Q. Why did you watch it again?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Why? I mean, to learn. To see how I played, how I took the chances, how I didn't. Like I said, with 4-4, Love-30, I supposed to be more aggressive, go forward more, try to play deeper. If I miss, I miss long. But no like in the net.

Things like that. It was five hours, so it was many things during that match. But, I mean, in general we played unbelievable, both of us. It was super intense during the five hours.

But I just see my matches. Not only that match, I see almost all of my matches after, because first I like to watch tennis, not only myself. Yesterday I was watching little bit of Dimitrov with Lorenzi. I was watching also Roger. I love tennis and I've been watching tennis since I'm a kid.

Now because I'm here in this position, I will not change that. So I think from every match you can learn something.

Q. You said you watched it 10 times, but only the last three or four games?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, everything.

Q. The whole five hours?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Yeah, many hours. I put it like many nights. You know, maybe one day I saw like two sets, then another day I saw another two sets. Of course, I didn't see the whole match every day I put it. I split it. I saw it many, many times.

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