AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2006

Fabrice Santoro

FABRICE SANTORO: I would say that one point of me is great that it's coming so late because, you know, when you start your career at 16, and first quarterfinal is arriving at 33 years old, it's a long time. It's 54 Grand Slam in between. Is good because I always believe in my chance to do that, and I think I was right.

FABRICE SANTORO: I think doubles affects my single results for few matches a year, but it helps me a lot for the second part of my career. If you look at my match, the match I played here since the first round, I am still in the tournament because I'm coming a lot to the net, because I'm serving well. I'm pretty good at the net. That's all because of the doubles.

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes, for sure, because today I knew it was my chance - and maybe the last one. I told you, I always believe in my chance. I said like few times in the last -- in the past three, four years, that I keep playing tennis because I like the game. I achieve almost everything I was expected, except a quarterfinal Grand Slam. I was thinking about this. I was working hard for that. Today, you know, when I finally serve -- make a first serve winner, I was really happy. Was huge.

FABRICE SANTORO: The first reason, I mean, I would say that in the first ten years of my career I was playing very defensive. I'm human, so it's not possible for me to play different and win four five-set match in a row. Now I'm able to play a Grand Slam because I know my physic pretty well. I know what I can do and what I can't do. I know my game, coming a lot to the net. If you look at the third set from 5-All till the end, you know, I was coming to the -- pushing and go on every ball because I was getting tired, and I knew that if I have a chance to win this third set, would be at the net and not behind. And now I'm playing a better tennis and I'm able to play a full tournament because I'm going to the net and sometimes I rest for a few points, few games, and sometimes sets.

FABRICE SANTORO: When I beat Gaudio, you know, I was not expecting to feel great today. I'm very happy that today we play indoor because if we will have played outdoor, I think my chance will be very, very small. That's why when I wake up this morning and I saw the temperature, I said, "Okay, we gonna play indoor," and that's maybe a sign, you know?

FABRICE SANTORO: Spadea first round, Pavel, Gaudio, Ferrer, now Nalbandian. Phew! You know, you have no time to rest, huh? Because every opponent makes you run and I hope the temperature will be pretty high and we can play indoor. I hope also that I will serve well. And if I want to keep going in the tournament, I have to be very aggressive and go and go as much as possible.

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes.

FABRICE SANTORO: 6-3, 6-4 in the third.

FABRICE SANTORO: I wasn't expecting to beat him on clay, so it was big surprise for me. But anyway, I don't want to use this match as a reference because I was playing behind, you know, on clay. On Tuesday, I have to be very aggressive and go to the net on my serve, on the return, and as much as possible.

FABRICE SANTORO: My opinion is it's not faster, no.

FABRICE SANTORO: No. I think the Rebound Ace is very fast when the temperature is very high because it's bouncing a lot and it gets more soft - how you say - soft. It's bouncing. When it's 20 degrees or 35 degrees, the court is much faster at 35, yeah. But indoor today was less fast than two days ago. That's my opinion.

FABRICE SANTORO: The only answer I found is because in France we have the French Open, which is very important for every French player. And because of this French Open, I am trying to play every year all the clay court season starting Monte-Carlo through Paris. After one and a half months on clay, I am too tired to play on grass. I always have a kind of small or big injury, and I'm not able to play on grass. I would have a reflection about that for this year and maybe play just two, three tournaments on clay and to be able to play good in grass court season.

FABRICE SANTORO: The best draw is when you win, huh? So it's tough to say. But I could be out of the tournament since two days, because I was down in the fifth against Gaudio. Now I am still alive, reach the first quarterfinal of my career. I'm there. I'm going to fight in two days. I'll be there, yeah.