WESTERN AND SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 18, 2005

Olivier Rochus

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: Yeah, I think that I played really good. I serve pretty good today, much better than when I played in Miami. I think, I mean, I was not so far. But today, Roger, he serve 80% of first serve and, I mean, was impossible to break him. You know, one break in each set and... But, I mean, he played, he served really good today so, yeah, he was just too good.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: What?

OLIVIER ROCHUS: (Smiling). I don't know. We know better when we were young, junior, Under-14. Now, you know, he's No. 1 and it's different. But of course I think that helps me a little bit. I know his game. I'm always watching his matches when he is playing, so I know little bit his game. But anyways he's the best, so even if you know his game (smiling)...

OLIVIER ROCHUS: Yeah, but those shot I was more laughing because I made bad approach. But he made one or two very good shot. But really today was his serve. I mean, and no breakpoint. Had one or two times Love-30 and he was just acing, acing, winners. So at the big point he was playing just too good and 6-3, 6-4.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: Yeah, I think if you have -- if you have to beat him, you have to beat him in the first round. After, you know... He didn't play for a while and one, two, three matches, then he's starting play better and better, know the court, the condition. Then it's much tougher. Every match he's winning. So now he's in quarterfinal, and I think he will play even better tomorrow and it will be tough for the other players.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: It's tough to say, but now I think for me is even better than Sampras and Agassi. I mean, he won already I don't know how many Grand Slam, Masters Series, and he's only 24 years old. I mean, he's amazing. And he can play -- I think one day will win the French Open. I think he can really win the French Open. He has the game. He won already two or three times the Masters Series in Hamburg and everywhere. So he can play everywhere: Indoor, outdoor, clay, everything. So Sampras on clay, I mean, still a very good player, but Roger is more... I don't know. But I think he can beat the record of Grand Slam of Sampras.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: Yeah, I am going Saturday to New Haven, and yeah...

OLIVIER ROCHUS: No (laughing). No, I mean, I remember him when we were 13 years old. He was always losing 6-0, 6-1 against everybody in the Under-14 tournament. We were almost laughing of him, and now he's laughing of us. So, you know, he's No. 1 easy. And really when he was young, at the beginning he was really bad. And in two years came from very bad to three or four years as the best player in the world ever. So this is big jump, unbelievable. I think he will stay there for a long time, so it is incredible.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: I really have no idea. I don't know. I think he practice hard. He had the talent, but when he was young he was very skinny and mentally he was not so good. And after he gets stronger, stronger. I don't know. I think he practice hard, made a lot of fitness, and now he's the best. I don't know.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: That he's doing everything right, you know. When he has a short ball and he see you in defense, he's always coming to the net, make the good shot, dropshot or whatever. So, I mean, for sure you learn of him; he's the best player. So when I watch him playing, I face him twice, of course you learn. You know, I know what I'm doing wrong, and I see what he's doing very good. So of course. Of course you learn of the best player, that's for sure.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: I don't know, I was just happy. In my second round, I say, "Okay, just fine. If you win, you play Roger. It's a big, good experience, a great match." So I was fighting really hard in my second round because I knew I had to play Roger, and that was good. Even if it's tough, you know, you are almost sure to lose, but, you know, it's a great match, good experience and still good.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: Of course you can always do better, but I think my serve was really working good today. And from the back I miss one or two easy shot. But, you know, I'm not a machine, you know, I'm just a man. Today I think really I played a really good match, very solid, but not enough. No, I think -- I played him in Miami and I was really serving bad. He was always making winners on my serve. Today I was really feeling confident with my serve and I was pretty happy with that.

OLIVIER ROCHUS: No, not really. Not really. He was just better than me in almost every aspect, especially the serve. With 80% of first serve, almost 20 aces in two set like this, it's tough.