AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2006

David Nalbandian

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Good.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, it was good. I just have one and a half days of fever, so was two days at the hotel at the bed, relax, don't do too much. On Friday, I start feel much, much better, practicing, pushing hard.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, I play a lot of exhibition in December in Argentina. I didn't feel I am outside of my game. I just practice very hard and I feel very good. But always first round are tough, difficult, so I have to be careful, be ready, and try to play my best tennis from the beginning.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, of course, Shanghai made me a lot of confidence. I feel I'm still playing 2005 season. Was a lot of things to do after Shanghai. I'm still having a lot of confidence after that tournament, made me feel a little bit different on court. I think I'm in very good shape.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, I hope meet him because is going to be in the final, so that's going to be great. Second, I play against him a lot of time from Juniors. I mean, we're talking about maybe almost ten years ago or nine years ago, so we know each other very good. We know each other that every time we go out on the court, it's going to be a very good match, a very fight match. It's good. I always enjoy to playing against him. I'm happy to be in the history beating him, so it's okay.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, that don't affect me too much, heat. Argentina is so hot as well at this moment so was practicing all December with a very high temperature. The heat doesn't make me difference. Of course, if I had to choose, I prefer playing with 20 degrees than 40. But that doesn't make me uncomfortable or something on the court.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Winning?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Of course, you always try to win the tournament. Is not that easy. I feel that I have the chance, of course. I'm playing very good. That I say before, I'm coming with the confidence in the last year, in the finish of last year. But I feel you have to go step by step, be quiet, be careful. All the players play very good, want to beat you. I know that I have the chance, but I have to be careful. More important is that I have to play very good.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Windows? The window is always open. I mean, I know that if I play good I can beat anyone. I have to be ready. I have to be prepared for match by match and try to do my best all the time that I go out the court. If I play good, I have the windows open to win every matches. If I keep in the same way, in the good way, I can do it.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, more experience. I mean, when you are there, you have to play good. You have very good players in front of you. Last year here I lost against Lleyton in an incredible match. I mean, 10-8 in the fifth. If I will have a little of lucky, I would have been on semis. So some matches are very, very close, very tight. One or two points decide who's going to win. You have to be there. You have to be ready. You have to play good.