WIMBLEDON

June 25, 2005

Roger Federer

THE MODERATOR: Roger Federer for you.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah (smiling). It was tough. Like I expected really. We've played on several occasions. He beat me also a few times - once on grass, once we played in the finals of Halle as well on grass. We know each other's game pretty well. I think at times you could see that because we took advantage of each other's game, even though I thought we didn't play bad. I have the feeling I should have won in three, but in the end I'm happy to have won in four really.

ROGER FEDERER: In the end, you know, if I win in five, five hours on court, or in one hour, you know, it doesn't matter as long as I keep on winning, you know. I think I have to keep that in mind. This was definitely a test today, absolutely. I think I had to survive some tough moments. Tiebreakers are always tough. I should have never lost that one. But he stayed in it, you know. In the fourth I had to really turn it around. I just started to play better in time. I'm happy, you know, in the fourth set how I played, and I'm also happy how I played at the end of the second. The other two sets, you know, the score showed what happened.

ROGER FEDERER: Got to work on your forearm, work on your footwork, and work on your mental part (smiling). No, it's a beautiful shot. I hit it, and once I looked it was already on the other side of the net. As I keep my head quite down quite long. It was an important shot, you know.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, occasionally. That one was a good one - at the right time.

ROGER FEDERER: The ones at the top right now.

ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, they're the same. I mean, I've beaten them all. I've lost to them all. Yeah, I have the feeling that they're very consistent, you know, even though maybe the one or the other has lost here. I think the guy just behind me in the ranking, they've proven that they are the most consistent player on tour. Those are in my eyes the most dangerous.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I had to wait all day yesterday, you know. I was back at the apartment, so it was not too bad. I was last match on, which actually in the beginning of the day, I don't want to say I planned on playing today, but sort of, you know, was just waiting. So today I'm happy we got this match over. You know, of course I'm happy to be through to the second week because that was definitely my goal at the beginning of the tournament. Now that I'm in the second week, you know, it's just four matches left, you know, once again. I hope to get the second week. You know, it was a good performance (indiscernible). I don't know who I'm playing actually. Is the match over?

ROGER FEDERER: So that's a nice match because we haven't played much over the last few years.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, the pressure's there anyway if you're going for your first or 10th, you know. No, I feel definitely it's a special year, you know, trying to make it three in a row. But, I don't know. I stay focused on what I have to do. I mean, the opponents are not getting easier from here. First I have to make sure I get the chance for three. For this I have to make the finals first.

ROGER FEDERER: No, not too heavy. No, it's just the tape was bothering me once again. I just preferred to take it off than it moving in the wrong place. Yeah, my foot couldn't really move in the shoe like I wanted it to move. Maybe the tape was too thick or anything. I already spoke to the physio. He didn't make a bad job. It was just bad luck, I think. I'd rather take it off than having a problem with (indiscernible) during the match, and maybe after the match especially. That's what I did. I have no problems with my feet right now.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, all the time.

ROGER FEDERER: Why not (smiling)? I don't know. I do it -- I mean, I don't do it every single match on tour. I do it mostly during Grand Slams and best-of-five matches, occasionally when I play on a surface which I consider quite dangerous, maybe a wet clay or, I don't know, a tough hard court, then I do it. Otherwise, practice I never tape up. It's just more for maybe mental part of my game.

ROGER FEDERER: Oh, I hit an overhead winner?

ROGER FEDERER: I saw he was doing something, but I thought he was going to throw the racquet already, not happy with that lob. That's the feeling I got. It didn't bother me. I was wondering what he was doing.

ROGER FEDERER: Where are we going here (smiling)? I don't know. Do you want me to say names? I mean, the guy who gets pumped up is definitely Nadal. In your face, it's Stepanek. I feel he's a little in your face. Depends if you like it or not. I turn around rather quickly. Don't really pay too much attention. But from what I remember of playing him...

ROGER FEDERER: Not any more. Used to.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, started to play him so many times. I know him by now. Doesn't bother me any more, so it's good.

ROGER FEDERER: I saw the last two sets yesterday. Yeah, I mean, he was supposed to win and he did well in the end to come through because it's a similar match to what I played against Agassi at the US Open. You know, you play the first three matches, then you come back and you have to just win one of the two, but it's not so easy. The conditions are again different. The player might have realized how to play you. So he did a good job. Definitely I keep an eye on him. He's so far away in the draw that I think once he gets, let's say, to the quarterfinals stage, and me too, this is when I'm really going to start watching him than the earlier rounds.

ROGER FEDERER: The dive volley?

ROGER FEDERER: I didn't really -- didn't really stick out to me. But I think that dive volley saved his life there on that occasion.

ROGER FEDERER: No, probably not. I wouldn't be satisfied.

ROGER FEDERER: For me only the win would be satisfying this year, the way I've been playing, with the misses I've had at the French and Australian Open. But, of course, you know, I could walk away easier if I played all right or my opponent played out of his head. But I'd still be very disappointed.

ROGER FEDERER: Not too different actually. I was surprised. I had the feeling -- I was thinking maybe it's going to play quicker because maybe there's more moist on the grass, and the grass then gets a little softer, then the ball doesn't bounce as high. That's sort of my explanation. But this didn't happen today. I guess it was quite dry. Like you say, it was quite cool, you know. But I didn't feel a big difference of playing, honestly.

ROGER FEDERER: No. Now that the baseline starts to get worn out a little bit, if you play right down the middle, you can get bad bounces, or if you play it down long, it's tough for the opponent always to hit a half volley. I think that is the main difference, I mean, to grass.