WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2004

Roger Federer

THE MODERATOR: First question for Roger, please.

ROGER FEDERER: I cannot, otherwise I would like to break that 130, 135 barrier, but I cannot. So I have to do it differently. For this I need to play well from the baseline. I have to serve consistently. That's exactly what I did today. So I'm very pleased because today's opponent was much more dangerous and much more difficult to play against than the other two, which is obvious. This is why I'm, you know, happy to have really won in straight sets because it wasn't that easy.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I'm feeling well also. I think, you know, I felt it also and you saw it in the end of the third when he had, you know, a few breakpoints. The way I got out of that one, you know, I got a lot of first serves in. I feel like, you know, the more comfortable I win my serves, the more I can take risks also on the second serve. This is then when I really start to play well.

ROGER FEDERER: Different. You know, it's nice. I think the people were just really happy to see some tennis, you know. I mean, it was a great crowd out there. Yeah, it was big fun.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, to me it seems similar really. I've heard there's been much talk about it. But I've played on Centre and Court 1 now. To me they seem very similar to last year.

ROGER FEDERER: Hmm. We're going the wrong direction here. He said some things already in Australia. We don't have to come back, you know, what Pat Cash says about me. If he gives me compliments, that's okay. If he doesn't say something that nice, that's okay, too. I don't take it seriously.

ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I've never faced somebody so tall. I faced Rosset, but that's small compared. I almost played him in Indian Wells, but he lost 7-6 in the third, surprise, to Pavel. If I play him, it will be interesting to see, you know, because everybody's talking about that big serve, you know, that's unbelievably accurate, very consistent serve. I would like to face it and see how I can, you know, kind of play with it. You know, it's going to be tough. Puts a lot of pressure on your own serve, but I think I can handle it. I'm used to that. But we'll see how big that serve is.

ROGER FEDERER: He did? Changing quickly here then (smiling). Okay, let's concentrate on Lopez.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the match with him was very, you know, strange because I hurt my back. I really didn't play at a hundred percent. I would say I got really lucky that day. I really just tried, you know, to play as well as I could under the circumstances. You know, he should have really won that first set. I think if he does win that first set, then it might look very different because then I start to doubt also, yeah, I get a little bit too down on myself. But, you know, in a way, I don't know why I won that first set, but got me going. I had some pain killers, had some massage on my back, and suddenly I started to feel much better. In the end, I could almost play normal again, which is very strange, because in the beginning I could hardly move. I mean, the breakthrough for me was more of the Schalken match, to get to the semis for the first time in a Grand Slam. So not really the Lopez match anyway.

ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, I think especially during Grand Slams, you have more time. You know, you always have a day off. You have a lot of time actually to watch TV like a fan, you know. I watch a lot of tennis matches when I'm not playing. I really enjoy that. You know, don't read too much about what's written about me. But if there is a paper, I also open it and read it. I'm interested in what's going on, what the people write, what the people think. I think it's important because if I just don't care, you know, might as well not answer any questions here.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, he's so far away in the draw, you know, if I see him winning, you know, I'm not surprised. If I would see him lose, then I would be surprised. But I always keep watching a little bit of his matches because, you know, he's No. 2 in the world. I have to kind of also look at his game, how well he's playing, because we haven't seen each other very much in the clay court season because both either, you know, lost or played different times or whatever. But here I'm checking him out more than maybe other tournaments.

ROGER FEDERER: Well, I thought today was a tough match, you know, and a real test. The first two, they were result-wise too easy. The third set was more of a, you know, wash-out. So I would say this was a really tough match for me. I really had to focus hard because he was serving well. You know, if I get broken maybe once or twice or three times in the match, then I can lose this match, or it could turn out a different way. Looking forward. I think this is a good match for the fourth round.

ROGER FEDERER: It's a little bit different. You know, last year Andy and Lleyton were more of the favorites. Of course, Lleyton lost in the first round, so all the talk was about Andy. Now it's more about me and Andy. So it does change a little bit. I am very -- you know, I'm feeling very good this year, definitely better than last year, because I know I already won this tournament. So I know anyway I can do it again. But also, you know, the results so far have been really good. I don't know if I'm going to play tomorrow again. But for me it's not a problem because I've had, you know, rather short matches, which is good.

ROGER FEDERER: More in the very beginning of the tournament, you know, leading up to the tournament, I thought this is a different feeling I have about this tournament suddenly. It's not the same. Like all the years I've been coming back, it's just got something else, when you come back as the defending champion to a Grand Slam. You have a lot of points which you can lose, you know, a lot of talk there is about you. If you win or lose, especially if you lose, there is people write a lot. And this is sometimes can be difficult. But I have to say I prefer this position now because, you know, I already won a Grand Slam last year. I haven't won any. That was getting tough on my mind.