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PACIFIC LIFE OPEN

March 12, 2006

Nikolay Davydenko

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Nikolay, please.
Q. Murray said that you have maybe, well, certainly some of the best ground strokes on tour, that hit the lines, keep the ball deep. Just talk about the match and how you thought you won that in the third set.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Before match, I was already coming here Friday and last week and was practicing for, like, one week before match and, like, play against many guys one set and, like, play very well. I, like, beat everybody like 6-1, like, today in the first set. And normally, like, I get good confidence because play very fast, feeling good ball and was, like, start to play very well match. And, you know, it's -- you never know what's happened because it was windy and also you make few mistake, and then you just like concentration not so good.
Because, like, if you try to make winners, you make mistake, and, like, was in the second set and losing set, and then like thinking about what you need to do. Because now, if I make many mistake, just try to do maybe, like, play only rally, just play just only top spin, just make like not so, like, try to play like in clay court, really in top spin, try no mistake, play how you can play.
And most in the first set, was tired for him. He can also do so much running and play many winners. And for me, I was also tired. I can also no make too much winner. And should be only who make the mistake in the third set.
And for me, it was important to good concentration and still to run and still to play top spin.
Q. How do you manage to play so many tournaments and not have your body breakdown? I think you are the only top 5 player to play 30 tournaments last year, which is a lot.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, but last year was also injury, was retired from the tournament, and then 30 tournaments. But I like to play every week. If I have of no injury and feeling okay, not tired, I like. It was for me like my job. And still coming to the tournament, it's like fast every week. It's nice tournament.
We get okay. Like, my coach say, if you're feeling tired, you can just like play just for fun, and if it's tournament, you lose in first round, then, like, you just take for you, like few day off and week off. If you want still in tournament, but you're now relaxing in preparation for next tournament.
And because normally, like some guys try to play, you know go home, go to the family, you know, still, you know, maybe like to play not so much tournament because like mainly spend time for the family, and okay for family. My parents live in Russia. I cannot, like, come to the Russia and sometimes parents coming to me, you know, to the tournaments, see me in tournament. Like, my girlfriend by me all the time on the tour, why I need to go home? I don't know where my home, and like still on the tour, it's for me like home.
Q. But mentally, don't you feel like you need to break sometimes, just to go off and not think about tennis for a little while?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes. It's like -- maybe it's like few weeks a year. But if -- if feeling good, why I need to go take off, you know? Why I need to do something, you know like go home and take rest, like mentally? Yes, sometimes, yes, if your body like in Grand Slam you play five sets, two quarters or semi final, yes. I got like in last year, I play longer to the same and I retired for the grass court tournaments in just preparation for Wimbledon.
If you make good result, yeah, you think you should be take, you need to take time.
Q. Nikolay has anybody recognized you in the street here?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. It was surprising in America, yes. Like here was nice, like, I come to the, you know, shopping, sports, shopping, they coming to me like are you Davydenko. Before, never many. Because I was playing lose here. I was No. 12 already, Hughes strep, coming to see some guy, say, "Who is Davydenko? Who is playing this one?" Yeah.
Like coming to me, I'll turn around, "What is your name?" Now it's like guys coming to me know who I am. They say, "Come on, Davydenko, like give me autograph, and having -- so it was surprising for me here.
Normally tennis in America is not like popular. Just on the American guys, and like just NHL or NBA and tennis, like for Agassi, knows, just like American guys, all No. 1, No. 2. But who is after 5, it's like it doesn't matter, yeah. But now maybe it's like should be for good result, like against beating Agassi in the Master's in Shanghai and play good against Federer in Australian Open. Because I think it's already good.
TV start tennis to see in America for in Europe tournament and, like, in something, and Australia, it's nice.
Q. How about at home, are you a big star at home?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: At home?
Q. Yeah.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't know. Where is my home normally. But I try to stay in Germany by my brother. And in Russia, it's like I spent time on the Davis Cup and Moscow tournament, and, like, only a few weeks and end of year season, like, finish also just for two weeks, because I need preparation for the next season, you know.
And because what you need to do in Russia, like parents coming to me, and in Russia I have no friends, nothing, just -- because I was already leave from 15 years old was in Germany, and for me it was like second home in Germany.
Q. Do you think people -- do you think players have a special fear of you, especially guys who are maybe not in the very top because you play so consistent, because you don't show so much emotion on the court? Do you think people are a little bit, "God, I'm playing Davydenko. This is going to be tough"?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe because I make very good rally and I just try to do no mistake on the court. There should be guys thinking about, I need to move and I need to do something to if he just try to make winners, maybe, because I try to make no -- like, no mistake in the court.
I like to play long rally, like, in clay court, I like to play more top spin, just do myself, you know, like, if I could control and feeling good and play very -- like, I can't play fast. I can't play slow. Like today, I play first set fast, last set I play very slow, because change in different games in the matches also important. Because sometimes you need to go wall and sometimes you need to stay back.
Because you see how is -- how you feeling by self. Like normally I play first set today good, winning everything and play good volley and like winners make. And then like in the second, I do only mistake and then what you going to do like in the first set? Only concentration, no winners, just to play -- to do no mistake, just make top spin in the court, just play on the court and running. It's important in first set I win in the first set.
Q. Do you feel you played like Kafelnikov play?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Kafelnikov played a little different. He don't like so much on clay. He play very low.
Q. Well, in Roland Garros though.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: This was fast, for him was, you know, it was time, for his position was good because he didn't play against Muster. He didn't play so much -- he don't like guys who make money at top spin because normally he didn't play very well in clay court season. He played very good hard, not very low bounce, you know. He just tried to do -- he not running so much. He just play like winners like Agassi, not pushing guys and -- but for me, like sometimes I try to push also, you know, but I also go back and play, you know, try to do like top spin like Spanish guy.
Q. Was it important for you to reach the No. 1 ranking in Russia? What did that mean to you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't feel anything, you know. It's like still the same, everything like was in 2001 or 2005. Like normally like I'm No. 5 and No. 1. In Russia, it's like it's not like -- I don't know maybe Russian country it's not so easy. You know, like no -- like tennis, nothing is important in Russia because it's soccer and ice hockey and, Russian.
You know. Not like international. What's still in Russia, then people knows, you know, but for international maybe just Safin, because he win already Grand Slam. He was No. 1. I think guys know who is Safin. Me, who knows tennis, is like Davydenko knows, you know. But normally if I go in the street or normally moving, nobody like -- no one know who I am.
Q. Playing Roger at the Australian Open, do you have regrets now when you think about it? You were so close to having a chance to win?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Like in this time, this was, yeah, it was my good chance was to beat him in there because this was in these day. It was good for me, was good because in sometimes like here, it's a little bit different because hard court and different balls. If I play against him, you know, maybe I lose easy, maybe I also try to win here. Because in Australian Open was, I played very slow, just keeping, you know, play only control ball and just play top spin and, you know, try to do no mistake for myself. And Federer don't know what I need to do. He just tried to make winners and he can't because this was for me everything was slow.
And because if you play against Federer, fast he play also fast. If you play him slow he don't know what -- you know, in -- like in Australia was for him very difficult, but mentally should be I need to win, should be I need to win this match because I get six set points, you know. Normally like in the third, yeah -- in the fourth set, I get many chance, but I forfeit. But it's good luck..

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