September 1, 2006
THE MODERATOR: Questions. Q. Big win for you?
SHAHAR PEER: Yeah, I'm really surprised. Probably you know I was 5 1 down, five match points.
I'm really happy to get again for the fourth round in a Grand Slam. I'm really happy for that. Q. You're facing Justine now. What can you say about her game? How do you think you can beat her?
SHAHAR PEER: I don't know yet how I'm going to beat her. I have to think with my coach. I think I have a day off tomorrow.
She's a great player. Obviously she played three finals this year in the Grand Slams, and she won one of them. But every day's a new day, and I will come on court and try my best and hope for the good. Q. Any memories of her, matches that you recall seeing, her strengths?
SHAHAR PEER: I think she's kind of player which she does everything. She has a good serve, good return. She comes to the net. She has the slice. The one handed backhand that she throw your way. She has kind of everything.
I'm sure she has some things which I can get on them and maybe win the match with not very good things for her.
I just want to enjoy this win and think about the next round tomorrow. Q. Somebody had a comment that the top players of today no longer create the fear that players used to. Your generations seems to feel you have a chance.
SHAHAR PEER: Yeah, sport, every day is a new day. Everything can happen.
I think if I would played Federer, maybe I would say the day before I have no chance. But anyone can lose and everybody can win. I think you should just go there and believe in yourself. That's what I do every time I go on court. Q. When you're down 5 1, how do you stay in that match?
SHAHAR PEER: Actually, I knew you going to ask me. But the right answer is I was just thinking about the match between Safina and Sharapova. Safina was 5 1 down. I was the same as her. I was coming back from five match points. I won the match. That's what I was thinking about. Q. Were you focused on each point or thinking you had to break her twice?
SHAHAR PEER: No, only each point. I mean, if you think too far when you are down like so much, like 5 1 down, you cannot think about how many times you have to break her. You have to think point by point, just to play it, see what happens. Q. Was the wind difficult?
SHAHAR PEER: Yeah, was a lot of wind. I mean, we are tennis player, we have to play with the wind. In the end of the match, it was really strong. Q. Do you think the officers in the Israeli Army are going to see that match and say, She's tough, we have to keep her in for a few more years?
SHAHAR PEER: Maybe. I guess I cannot do it. Q. Do you regard yourself as a very good wind player?
SHAHAR PEER: I hate wind, but every time I say it, my dad tells me that one of my coaches when I was young said I'm really good in the wind. I try to think this way.
But I don't really like the wind like I think every player. I mean, we prefer to play with no wind, no sun, no nothing. Q. If there's conditions like this when you play Justine, that could help you.
SHAHAR PEER: I know people say, but I think it's not true. If it's not good for her, probably it's not good for me also. If something is bothering her, it bothers me, too. If it's the wind or it's the sun or whatever, the crowd, it's for both of us.
I think it will like for us the same. Q. What did you think of the atmosphere on that court with the fans?
SHAHAR PEER: It's amazing. Really, whenever I came to New York, so many people coming, Israeli and Jewish, it's amazing. Like Noah Okun, the other Israeli player played the court behind me. I was listening to this court. I was following his court. But then Andy told me that Michael was crazy, the crowd was getting crazy when he was in the other court.
I mean, I just hope they will come for my next matches, too. Q. You were following his court while playing your match?
SHAHAR PEER: I always like this. I knew he was 5 2 up in the tiebreak and he lost the first set and the second set. I just heard it's the fifth set, but I don't know. It's always like this. Q. Maybe this is why you were 5 1 down.
SHAHAR PEER: The 5 2 in the tiebreak was the first set. I won the first set. Q. Most people are focused. A score from another court, you're able to...
SHAHAR PEER: With these courts, I'm good. Always like this. If I play next to someone, I know the score usually. I don't know. I don't think my concentrate is going down because it's just how I am. I don't know. I just follow these courts, too.
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