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WIMBLEDON


July 7, 2002


David Nalbandian


Wimbledon, England

MODERATOR: David Nalbandian. Who would like to start?

Q. You looked nervous out there. Were you?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, a little bit when we started. But I think Lleyton, he play very good today. He didn't missed any shots. He play great. Well, for me it's not easy, no, play finals my first time here. But I think he's a good winner.

Q. It was only one point, but starting the match with a double-fault, did that hurt you or stay with you, set the tone?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No. Doesn't matter start with ace, with double-faults. Doesn't matter. But after that, you know, Lleyton in the first set, he didn't miss any balls, any shots. And then I play -- I start playing a little good. Well, start rain, we stop, we started, we stop. It's all right.

Q. You had a moment in the last set where you kind of pointed to the heavens after one of your dropshots. Did you just feel it wasn't your day?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, I think I did a lot of shots, and the linesmen do many mistakes today I think. Many points they have a little more lucky like me. But be in the finals for me, it's great also.

Q. You were able to impersonate your childhood hero, Becker.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I know. I would like to play like him (smiling). Well, he's my idol when I was four years. For me he's a big player, big personality. For me it's an honor playing in the Centre Court in Wimbledon.

Q. Have you gotten a chance to talk to him during this tournament?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, a little bit. And I think he's a great person.

Q. What did he tell you, anything?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, no, just talking nothing.

Q. You got a chance to hit on Centre Court for the first time this morning. Did that help you at all?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, just for the visual things. So it's different, the Centre Court to Court No. 1. It's a little difficult, but is not much.

Q. Was it still like this awesome experience when you went out there?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, no, no, it's fine, perfect.

Q. What was going through your mind when the streaker ran out on the court?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I don't know. Was terrible, nobody take him. Was five minutes on there.

Q. When you first came to England on this trip, if the customs man when he was stamping your passport said, "Hey, David, you're going to reach the Wimbledon finals," what would you say to him?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Would I have to sign it? My first time here, you never think you're going to be in the finals Sunday. But being in the Sunday finals, it's unbelievable. You never think about that.

Q. What have you been saying to yourself?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, many things, you know. I'm in the final, so I didn't have nothing to lose today. Well, in the first rounds also. But I didn't have much pressure. I think all pressure was to Lleyton. Well, he's No. 1, he can make it perfect. He's the most like -- he's a very good player.

Q. What do you have to do to keep from going down? What do you have to do to continue doing well and not be a one-hit wonder?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, I think play with Lleyton is difficult. He's a strong man. He's fast. He's difficult to do mistake because if you do just one mistake, he take it, and I think it's very difficult to play with him.

Q. How do you improve your game from here, get better?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I don't know. You have to practice everything: your serve, your volleys, your backhand, whatever. You have to practice everything. You don't know where you stop. I don't know if I'm going to be Top 10 or I never going to be a Top 20 or whatever. So you never know what's going to happen. So you have to try your best every day and then the future is going to say.

Q. You've seen Wimbledon finals here in the past. Where do you think this final will rate in the history of Wimbledon finals?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I don't know. When I was watching Wimbledon, to be in the finals or being in Wimbledon, is unbelievable. And today was lucky to play in the Centre Court in the final, so it's great.

Q. You made more money in this two weeks almost than you've made this whole year. Any thoughts on that, what you'll do? Does this change the way you approach the game?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, no, no. I don't like to change. I don't want to change it. I hope no change it.

Q. Will you put it into an Argentinian bank?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No (laughter).

Q. In France after Moya lost to Canas, he said that the Argentinians were doing well in part because of the situation being so rough at home. Can you comment on that? Do you think there's any truth in that?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, no, of course. So next week I have another tournament, but I'm going back home in two weeks. I think nothing is going to happen, so.

Q. Do you think your run at Wimbledon makes up for the disappointment in the World Cup for the footballers?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I think there's two different sports: one is football, one is politics and another is tennis, so completely different. So I hope the people in Argentina was very interested in the World Cup from Argentina, and the results didn't was very good. And I hope the people enjoyed like my results right now.

Q. Is there a lot of competition amongst you Argentine players? Do you compete amongst yourselves to be the best also in a friendly way?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Argentina players?

Q. Yes.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yes and no. I think if my partner is doing well in another tournament, you want to be better. So it's not bad things from another, no? So everything is okay. And I think we have many good players in Argentina, many top hundred right now. I hope it's very good for us, for the next guys.

Q. Do you think Lleyton can dominate Wimbledon for many years?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I think so. He have a very, very good tennis. So I think he's fast, he serve good, he have a very good return. Yeah, I think he can make it.

Q. What will you do next year? You said, "Wait for me, I'm coming."

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, I'm going to come for sure. Don't worry.

Q. When you came here as a junior in '99, got to the quarterfinals.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Semis.

Q. You were defaulted.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I answered that question every day, man. It happened.

Q. Did you think you could win Wimbledon Juniors then?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: You never know.

Q. Because you won the doubles, didn't you?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I won the doubles. You never know. I think so, but maybe I went to the court and I lost 6-1, 6-1. You never know.

Q. What did you think last year when you saw Roger Federer performing well, then you beat him in the US Open? Did you think you were capable of same things?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: When you see another players -- when you have Juniors and you play with the same guy, like next year he's coming very good, you say, "Well, if I beat him, I can make it also." So I think every player, if you're a junior, if you are good junior, you have chance to be a very good tennis player.

Q. Do you feel like you played your best today? How would you rate how you played?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I think I not play really good. I don't feel really good in the court. Was a little difficult for me. But I don't know. From 1 to 10, I tell you 5 maybe. Not much.

Q. Was it the surroundings and the circumstances? Was it the conditions?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No. Was difficult because Lleyton, he's playing very good. I don't care about the condition, the stadium, the situation. So I think he was better today on the court much like me.

Q. First rain delay seemed to help you. Second rain delay didn't.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: ^ don't.

Q. Is that fair?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: That sometime happen, yeah. In the semis was same. First rain is help the other guy, and then the daylight help me.

Q. What's the biggest problem in taking over a top performance as a junior into a top performance amongst the seniors? What's the biggest difficulty that you need to overcome in order to become a great senior player?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I think is much difference play Juniors and a pro. I think when you start play pro, every players have hungry. Many players is with hungry to the victory. In the Juniors, sometimes you won by the name. That's make difference.

Q. You've never played Davis Cup yet. The Russians are putting down a fast court for you in the Davis Cup. Do you hope to get selected now?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: I hope.

Q. It sounds like you weren't nervous at all today.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Excuse me?

Q. From what you said about the conditions, you weren't worried about the situation, it sounded like you were saying that you weren't nervous at all today.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, I didn't was too much nervous. A little bit, so is normal, no?

Q. Yesterday you said you couldn't sleep, couldn't even eat.

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, was terrible. But today, no, was perfect. I didn't have nothing to lose today.

Q. Could you feel the crowd support today? The crowd seemed to want you to do well?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, I want to thanks very much the people. I think the people maybe think I can do much more today on the court. But I didn't. So I'm a little sorry for the people, for all the people. I say in the stadium I want to here next year and be in the final.

Q. Walking on to the court, did you have a look at the trophies?

DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, I don't.

End of FastScripts….

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