US OPEN

September 4, 2003

Roger Federer

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

ROGER FEDERER: You know, I've had disappointing losses in my career, so this doesn't change if I have one more or one less. Obviously, it was disappointing to lose the second set. I just thought I'd hang in there, and eventually maybe you'd get a chance to come back in the set. I did. Was just a pity I lost it in the end. Might have -- probably would have changed the match. But he played good in the breaker, and I played terrible so...

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know; otherwise, I would beat him, you know. I guess I'm struggling against him, you know. But I had my chance today, so it's a pity.

ROGER FEDERER: Guess so. I don't know. I don't know what to comment on this because I'm trying to figure out how to beat him. Well, you know, I guess first of all he likes my game because I keep on coming and he likes to play contra tennis, you know, which he does extremely well. That's all I can say about it, you know. I've never felt I had my -- a great day playing against him. That's, again, something which has probably something to do with his game, because he doesn't allow me to.

ROGER FEDERER: You know, the stats, I don't care. I've had 90 unforced errors at the French Open or something. Then I play a match, I have two unforced errors. So I don't know how they count them anyway. But, you know, rallies were long today and it was always played on errors at the end; not too many winners. I don't really care how many unforced errors I made. That was necessary to try to beat him today, and it didn't work out.

ROGER FEDERER: When was that?

ROGER FEDERER: Well, for the fourth set, was very important because that made the difference in the end. But if it made a difference for the match, we will never know. You know, I had my opportunities earlier. But, you know, he lobs well. I don't see it when he does it, you know. He scrambles well. He reads the game well. He makes me struggle. You tend to maybe overplay shots, and that's maybe what I did there; I don't know.

ROGER FEDERER: For me, no. Because I'm out. I don't have to play four times in a row.

ROGER FEDERER: Nothing. Not really. It was for both the same, you know. I had some little injuries, but just little things that were hurting me and I could get over them in the delays, you know. So I thought, you know, the delay came good for me, you know. Obviously, if you look ahead in the tournament, you know, you prefer to win in straight sets from the fourth round on now. But I don't have to worry about these things anymore, so...

ROGER FEDERER: Nothing. Because I don't look that far, so...

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I felt good in the first set. I thought I kind of figured him out. Obviously, had the game plan, you know. But I thought I had a game plan down 5-0 in the second, so... I don't kind of get smart out of this guy, you know. Then I come back to 5-all - surprisingly, you know. So it's very weird to play him for me. So I guess I haven't become much more after this match, though.

ROGER FEDERER: He should. He has beaten me in the past. We know each other a long time, from Juniors as well. So, you know, I think every opponent should go into a match like this thinking he can beat me, you know. Or same for me, that I can beat the other player. Otherwise, you have a mental block in your head and this is not what I have and I don't think what he has.

ROGER FEDERER: Soon, soon. I don't know. In the next week, in the next seven days I'm leaving.

ROGER FEDERER: What, did it look like I didn't try or what? To change anything?

ROGER FEDERER: Let's go to other questions, please. To national.