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PILOT PEN TENNIS

August 25, 2006

Nikolay Davydenko

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Nikolay.

Q. Down 6-5 in the tiebreaker, 26-shot rally. Key point in the match for you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, it's like just maybe for first set because, yeah, like was 6-5 for him and his serve, was second serve. I think about I need just to hitting ball. Just try no mistake to do this point. Just concentration hundred percent. Was movement good. It was play, play, play, try to do no mistake. Thinking about he, because he hitting so hard ball, he make some mistake.
Maybe he want to also in first set was long rally.

Q. Did you feel not as sharp as you were last night?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No. It was tough today, because yesterday Rochus play shot for me that movement in the court was easy, make winners was easy. And today Soderling play fast. Just hitting so fast and long. That's was he push me back from the side and was like two, three meters, you know, out from the baseline. For me was tough to make some winners from there.
Sometimes I get some good rally. I'm coming in, play good, make some winners. But was hitting everything, pushing forehand, backhand fast, was long. Today was, for me, every time pressure from him. That was get no chance to make something, you know, myself, make winners.
I made first serve and he make return good. That was everything he play fast.

Q. How about your returning against his serve? Were you satisfied with that?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, my return was be okay today. Was okay. He didn't make so much first serve. He make also from second was for me more chance. I think was because dark also. Yeah, was night session match. I think no feeling so good in the air, is dark.
Serve should be a little bit different control to get. He make from the second topspin, was easy already to return to play from baseline.

Q. Up 3-2 in the second set, you called a medical timeout. What was that for?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It was shoulder a little bit tight because play yesterday night session match in here, was balls a little bit heavy. Was a little bit tough to be like be -- racquets make little bit vibration in the shoulder. That was a little bit painful.

Q. Right or left?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Right. I need something medical just to relaxing little bit, because I feeling I have time, you know, where I need to go on the court. That was just call physio for three minutes because was long rally before. I winning my game. Was very tough.

Q. Did that have something to do with you changing the racquets, or was that just broken strings?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, didn't broken strings. Sometimes feeling balls so heavy. Yesterday was playing, pretty -- was easy for me, balls hitting. Today was a little bit more heavy. That's why I get more vibration in racquets. I think was stringing. But was the same, same stringing, same racquet, same string.
That was, maybe, I don't know different weather, was rain, humid, colder, balls was heavy. I don't know.
But still in control, you know, you don't care which weather should be. You need to win match. That's what you try different. Try change racquet, something, try difference.

Q. How much do you know about Calleri?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Too much. Too much. I play already two years. I beat him in Sydney second round. Beat him in clay court in Bastad. He play well this time because he win Kitzbuhel and then he was semifinal Sopot, which tournament I won there. He didn't play anything. His confidence was good.
That's why he coming straight to here, to New Haven. Didn't play no tournament for two weeks. Coming to final. I think he play well. From feeling good, I think he didn't change something different.
He did the same everything. Sometime he had good first serve. Hitting balls from baseline fast, but not like fast serve like today Soderling, hitting amazing from backhand and forehand along lines, but play well.

Q. You get knocked out in the first round twice in a row before you get here. Now you're in the final. How do you explain that? Are you surprised?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Me surprised?

Q. Yes.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: To be final here at hard court?

Q. Of after two not so good results.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Surprised? It's not like surprising. We try in our preparation like to (grass?). I try to play well, like I need like prepare to US Open, yeah. Like New Haven is not important tournament now for me, just because I have no points, anything, have nothing here. If title win, is okay, yeah. But normally just prepare matches to play, play well, confidence go higher, and to come into US Open feeling better and from start playing good.
Okay, fighting, fighting. Win first, second, third, final is coming. It's okay. I don't like concentration I'm going to win New Haven. Just play every match.

Q. What was your mindset coming here after those two first-round losses? Were you down on yourself?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It was a little bit, yeah, tough, like beginning from first match here. Clement play so bad. That for me was easy to get something. I play also not so good for first match because I won easy, but was feeling by self I didn't play good. Each match I keep play better and better. It's important to win first round, then you feeling better. Like for me was in every tournament first round important, feeling easy already something. Like you win one match, second should be already easy. In your mind and confidence already easy.

Q. You think the first match is tougher than the later ones?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah.

End of FastScripts...

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