TMS - MADRID

October 17, 2003

Roger Federer

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Roger.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, if I could choose, I'd always choose an easy match, obviously. But there's not much I could do, you know. I played the one bad game, you know, with the two double-faults. Yeah, I didn't -- actually I didn't play the right way, even though I knew how he was going to play. But we only played one time. I was injured, and it was on grass. You know, not too much I could take out of that match. I just hung in there. I could have lost in straight sets also, 6-4, 6-4. I was down Love-40 in the second. I really battled hard tonight. I gave everything I had.

ROGER FEDERER: It's very difficult. I don't want to judge too much the Wimbledon performance from him or from me, because it was very difficult for him. I was not playing injured, I was injured, you know. That made the whole game totally different, you know. Hard court, you know, he definitely maybe moves better - everybody does. It's a totally different game. Here, the ball flies. It's very difficult to control. I was not knowing where he's going to serve in the beginning, until the second, third set. I think, you know, and the ranking shows, he's been playing well since the US Open or since Wimbledon actually. I'm happy for him.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, difficult to say after such a match. You know, he plays so different than all the other players: lefty, slices the ball all the time, got a big first serve. I don't know, it's just really strange, you know, to play him. I guess I cannot take too much out of this one for tomorrow.

ROGER FEDERER: I knew this is a big match for me today. So is it tomorrow - even bigger. You always got to concentrate on the match you're playing right now. I cannot look too far ahead. Yeah, tomorrow's very big, you know, because I'm playing a guy who is in contention, as well. I have no idea, you know, how it is for one of us. I just hope I can play good tomorrow and beat him.

ROGER FEDERER: I think they have definitely an outside chance. I would even make the match 50/50, you know, because Hewitt didn't play too well on the grass this year. He won Wimbledon the year before. You never know. I don't know how he's doing physically, because he had some operation on his toe. So I don't know. Philippoussis, he proved it this year, he can play well on grass. But also he got lucky against a guy who's playing from the baseline, against Popp. I think Spain definitely has their chance, because we were already very close.

ROGER FEDERER: I've seen a little bit, first of all. I always feel that Juan Carlos starts to play better as the tournament goes on, you know. That's why I was actually happy to play him first match at The Masters last year. I just see it, you know, he's struggling, shanking a lot of balls. He doesn't feel the ball yet. We saw it today, he wasn't missing too much. But he knows I will play aggressive. If he plays a short ball, I'll come in on it. Maybe he's a little tentative. I just have to make sure I serve well. I beat him also on clay, you know, but he was a little injured. But also there I played a good match against him, and aggressive.