US OPEN

August 31, 2002

Roger Federer

MODERATOR: Questions.

ROGER FEDERER: Yes, I mean, I was not playing very well at all lately. That's why for me it was just important to win that first-round match, you know, just to get the sensation of winning again. That was a difficult match for me. I didn't play very well. I got a little nervous in the end. Went to a fourth set. That first match was very important to get me back in the rhythm. Against Chang I played a really good match. Today also, I could feel that I'm kind of back. It feels very good.

ROGER FEDERER: A little bit confidence, for sure, yes. Otherwise today, even though I lost the first set, I was just staying positive out there, trying to come back strong the second set. That worked really well. I felt mentally I was very good already against Chang. Compared to the first-round match, I was still very, very negative, very down on myself, very disappointed quickly. So now in the last two matches, I really felt like this is how I can play, should play, and I am playing. That was a nice feeling today.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, it's tough to say, but I think I'm not so far away. I'm playing well. I still think maybe I can do a few things better. I don't know. He also hit some good shots, you know, in the right moments. I'm actually very happy right now. I really have to look match for match because I just don't have enough matches under my belt to look further in the draw. The next round match will be against a friend, no matter who wins. It will be a special match for me.

ROGER FEDERER: It is different because last year I came back from injury in Wimbledon, I didn't play till the US Open. I came here, played the fourth round. But I was still hurting a little bit with my groin. That took me like until maybe I would say Basel, until it really went away. Basel was I think the second to the last tournament of the season. I never really got enough matches and enough confidence to play well in the indoors. That was disappointing because I think I still had a chance, a small chance obviously, for the Masters. In the end, I had no chance because I just couldn't get my rhythm. This year other things have happened outside of the court. I lost a lot of confidence. Wimbledon this year was for me a tough tournament. That didn't help.

ROGER FEDERER: That's really tough to say because I would say my favorite surface is the indoors just because my first success when I started on the tour was indoors. I always loved to play indoors just because the conditions are always the same. Usually the surface is good for me. I really like the indoors. Then grass is so unpredictable. You hardly ever play on grass. I think I still need a few more years on the grass until I can really say how good I am. I know the surface is good for my game because I have an all-around game. Outdoors hard court, I think I have some good results now. I'm not struggling with the wind anymore, with the sun like I used to when I came on the tour. That's got for sure something to do with my footwork. I've improved that over the years also. I guess clay is my weakest surface. Now all the Davis Cup opponents will pick clay, right, even though I maybe have the best result of my career on clay. I still think there I can make the most improvements. Maybe it's also because I'm not playing as much on clay as I'm playing on the hard courts, indoors.

ROGER FEDERER: This is difficult. I mean, I didn't expect much from this tournament really. My only focus was just to win that first-round singles, then play doubles, have some fun. That was totally missing lately. We know the reasons. I mean, there's not much I was doing. I was just practicing. Even practice was okay. Back home when I was home for a week, then I came over to Long Island, before Long Island I was practicing good. Between Long Island and US Open, I felt like I can't play anymore. Really now I'm also starting to struggle in practice. Before, I told myself to work hard in practice, it comes back in the match. Then I was practicing good, it was terrible in the match. Then suddenly I had terrible in practice, terrible in the match. I was like totally playing the worst ever. I guess that maybe helped that I played so bad in practice, really no expectations for the singles. Now suddenly I'm playing good again. That's just the main thing right now.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, maybe a little bit, for sure. But on the same time I have pressure because I lost first round twice in a row in Grand Slam. Still basically almost Top 10. This is kind of maybe difficult to understand for some people that I'm close to 10 if I lost first round in two of the four biggest tournaments in the world. If I would go out another time first round, I wouldn't even drop so low because I don't have many points to defend. For me, it was important to win especially that first round and get into the tournament. That's now a big relief.