June 23, 2005
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND
THE MODERATOR: Questions in English for David Nalbandian, please.
Q. How did that go for you today? How did you feel?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Pretty good. I mean, I think I played very good match, and I feel every time more confidence on the court. Feeling very good.
Q. Do you feel you're playing as well now as you were in the year that you reached the final?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: It's really tough to compare, but I'm think I'm starting the matches with more confidence than 2002. So I think I feel a little bit better now.
Q. Does it still feel kind of strange coming on to grass after so long on clay, or are you quite used to it by now?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, it's difficult. It's a big difference of surface, but we have enough days to adapt to these courts. So it's not that bad.
Q. What do you know about your next opponent, Andrew Murray?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I didn't know him, so I can't tell you too much.
Q. You haven't heard of him at all?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: A little bit, but... I know I have to be careful. I mean, he's in the third round, so he must be playing good.
Q. Have you seen any of his games here? You haven't seen any clips?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Just two, three. Not big deal.
Q. He's obviously got a lot of support behind him, being one of the home players. Does that make any difference to you when the crowd are backing the other player?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: No. Of course gonna be everybody with him. I think he's the only one left, so should be a lot of people support him. But I'm gonna feel okay.
Q. You've come across this situation before, haven't you, with Tim Henman, I think?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, but is gonna be different. All match are different, so... All years are different so...
Q. In terms of the support.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I think it's gonna be almost the same, I don't know.
Q. Does it kind of fire you up? Does it motivate you more?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: You mean for the people, for the support, the crowd?
Q. When everybody appears to be almost against you.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Everybody - not almost everybody (laughing). But, no, Davis Cup is gonna be almost the same so...
Q. But that gives you a little bit extra?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, a little motivation extra, yeah.
Q. Because some players would wilt under the kind of pressure.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, I like to play like this.
Q. I ask you just about Davis Cup. You won today, Guillermo Coria won today. Does that boost your chances, do you think, of winning in Australia on grass?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Even if we do a good tournament, both, it's gonna be very tough in Australia. They have a very good players, very good doubles. So either way it's gonna be tough. So we know that for grass court they have a better team than us, but we still believe that we have a chance.
Q. How big a loss is it for you not having Guillermo Canas available for the team?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, of course not a good news for him, first of all, and for the Davis Cup. But, I don't know, of course gonna be a little bit more tough, but we still having a good players left.
Q. He's the fourth Argentinian guy to have a positive test. Do you worry about how that might affect the reputation of Argentinian tennis?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: No. I mean, I don't know too deep the case. I mean, I don't know exactly what is going on, so I can't tell you too much. I think is gonna be very tough for him. Was -- I think was unlucky for all the Argentinians, but I don't know, I don't know why.
Q. Assuming this match against Murray is on Centre Court where he hasn't played before, how difficult was it for you when you played your first match on Centre in a final to get used to the special atmosphere of the place?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I don't know. You have to ask him.
Q. But I mean for you.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I can't tell you for him.
Q. For you.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: For me, was tough because I was in the final and I never played before. So was two thing: the final and the Centre Court. But, I mean, you must be nervous in the first few games, and then everything is going natural.
Q. Will you take any pleasure out of being the guy who beats the last Briton at Wimbledon?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: I have to play first and then I'm gonna ask you the question after that (smiling).
End of FastScripts….
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