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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 24, 2018

Roger Federer

Miami, Florida

T. KOKKINAKIS/R. Federer

3-6, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It seemed you got a little bit down in the second set. Was it fatigue or something? Did you think still in the third you had it to move above him?
ROGER FEDERER: I didn't understand the second part. Sorry.

Q. In the third set, you still looked like maybe you had it, getting on his service game. Were you surprised you couldn't break maybe?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, honestly in the third anything could have happened. I feel like I wasn't feeling good. The ball, I wasn't feeling. With my movement, things weren't absolutely working.

I felt like the third could be a tricky one, of course. I feel like every time I had chances, something bad happened for me, wrong decision making by me, good decision making by him. Who knows what happened. It just felt like I could be paying the price for opportunities missed.

I feel like it already started beginning of the second set when I had breakpoints first game, and he almost wanted to give me that game, and I couldn't take it. After that I played a bad -- from that moment on, I played maybe a bad 10 minutes, which cost me the second set, maybe the match.

Look, it's disappointing. Don't know why I could never get to any level that I was happy with today. Sometimes you have these matches. Sometimes you find a way through. I just couldn't get it done today.

Q. What impressed you the most about his game out there?
ROGER FEDERER: Look, he's a cool guy, a cool demeanor. I know him well. He's been to Dubai to practice with me a couple of times. I knew him very well. We have worked very hard together. I've always liked his game.

I'm happy for him that on the big stage he was able to show it, center court, Miami, people watching, beating me. It's a big result for him in his career. I hope it's going to launch him, really getting his ranking up.

Q. If No. 1 ranking was not on the line, would you have preferred maybe not to have played Miami this year?
ROGER FEDERER: No. It was always on the schedule, regardless.

Q. You never played him before. What did he do really well today to get through that match? Do you think it was more the mental side of his game, considering how much he's been injury plagued with his career?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I don't think just mentally being able to stay with me is going to be enough. You have to be able to serve well. At certain moments you have to either not miss or hit winners.

He was just a bit better than me today, you know. What exactly that was, I think you probably have to break it down to the key moments. He was a bit more relaxed. I was in search mode the whole match. I never got going.

But you have to ask him how he felt out there. I hope that he felt better. If he played terrible as well, then I'm even more disappointed.

Q. It's been a very long time since you lost two matches in a row. Any commonalities between the two?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes, 7-6 in the third. Other than that, not much, no.

Q. Maybe it's too early, do you think the clay conversations start with your team?
ROGER FEDERER: It already did. Yeah, I decided not to play.

Q. No clay at all, no French Open?
ROGER FEDERER: Yes. That's what I said. The clay is the French, as well, yeah.

Q. You say you didn't feel well today. When is the last time you felt this way, given the success you've been having lately?
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, last week. Didn't play great last week either, I felt, overall. Nothing new, in my opinion. I'm trying to figure things out, so... Have time now.

Q. Do you have a special psychological work when you have a bad day?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, look, I'm a positive thinker. I feel like every match is an another opportunity. Especially after losing one, clearly I'm down right now. I'm disappointed. I'm frustrated a little bit that I couldn't find a way. It's unfortunate how it goes.

Yeah, it's pretty simple at the end of the day. You go back to the practice court or go on vacation, you really take a break, get away from it all. When you come back to the practice court to work, whatever it is, you do it at 100%, so...

Q. How do you feel losing the first position in the ranking?
ROGER FEDERER: I deserve it after this match. That's how I feel. Just so bad.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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