US OPEN

September 9, 2006

Nikolay Davydenko

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. At what point did you see the match start to slip away? It was a tough match in general. What's it going to take to beat this guy?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, it's tough to say something for today. I was surprising, because if I play quarterfinal, was little bit different tennis. It was too slow 'cause I have movement okay, you know. Like I can, like, play normal control ball. That's was today completely different tennis. He try to play fast and just play for forehand. Play very fast to the right and left. That's was for me difficult to running for this ball.
I was surprising he play backhand better. Because I play against in Australian, I just control from to the backhand and he was play little bit more slowly.
Maybe it's, okay, completely different tournaments. But was today for me was too fast. He play very fast. From slicing, ball was playing very fast. That's why I think I did so many mistake, by control. I can't control this ball really good. That's was I think it was so many mistake from my side.

Q. How did you feel after your quarterfinal? I mean, you had a tough one against Haas. Physically, were you okay?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Physically, yeah. Physically, I feeling okay. But few points I was running, try to fight. I feeling it was really tough, because movement was different. Just only one point, I was running very fast, and then I feeling I can't running every point like this.
He try hitting balls to the line, you know, make very good topspin from backhand and forehand. That was both fly fast and high. This was very tough to control from baseline, also.
He manage good also returning from slicing. Also I did so many mistake from slice, that's was from.
I would say it's really different tennis. He's No. 1. That's why I think he winning everything, because he play completely different.

Q. Is it the first time you have this feeling, it's too fast for you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Against Federer, yeah. He was too fast. Because in Australia, was little bit slow. I played mainly from baseline points. That's was I had control from baseline.
Just I can't I just feeling I can't moving good and play to forehand and to backhand. Today was short, short points. He try to hit fast and short. That was tough.

Q. You played a lot of tennis. Are you going to take any time off? Is that just not your style?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe I have few days now before Beijing, before I need play there (smiling).
But, yeah, after this, I have two weeks off. I have last four tournaments in indoor. If I play well, I try to come into Shanghai. That's most important tournament, Masters in Madrid and Paris. That was, okay, we prepare for Davis Cup. We try to win against America, why not, on clay court.
But, you know, I'm happy to be here in semifinal. Okay, like was okay, you feeling all the time should be better and better. That's was yeah, you never know, you know, what's happening in semifinal. Was bad luck, yeah? I would say bad luck in semifinal.

Q. If you had to focus on just certain things that make Roger Federer such a fabulous tennis player, could you tell us briefly what those things are? What would they be?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, how you say, Federer was play, you know get good serve, good volley, and play very well from baseline. That's was like from beginning today, from first set, I try to just just try make control from baseline. From beginning, from my serve, I say, "Okay, I make only topspin first serve and not so fast and just play from baseline." He was returning good and play very good from baseline forehand, backhand. That's also was surprising. He did no mistake. Just played backhand well. Very good for cross. Then forehand anyway is good.
And play very fast, and stay in the line from baseline, and play, you know. If you play fast, he play more faster. That's was I try to mix, but it was not enough.

Q. Does he have any weaknesses?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Right now, no (smiling).

Q. Could you give us your thoughts on Davis Cup. Is the Russian team going into that tie with a lot of confidence at home, on clay?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You say confidence, we also scared to play at home on clay in Moscow. Too much people, try to pressure to win for us in semifinal. Is not so easy for us also.
I think we get good, yeah, team. We don't know now yet who is playing, you know. But we have four good players. Youzhny is still in semis now, yeah? Safin play better and better. Tursunov, he play very well in Roland Garros, yeah? That's was try to win, because at home is important.

Q. Since it's so scary to play at home, would you consider playing here in America?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: In America, different surface, yeah? Different, you know, fun.
But, yeah, here, not so much pressure for us because is like priority for the American and, you know, favorite American. But we are now favorite at home. That's was little bit pressure for us.

Q. It's not possible now, now that you have played and lost, but before your match there was a possibility that we could have an all Russian men's final in this tournament. How realistic would it have been to think that two Russians could make it to the final, you and Youzhny?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Uhm, I am already not in final. But still Youzhny play semis here today against Roddick. You never know what's happen, you know?
But was, yeah, normally, like say, everybody waiting for Roddick in final against Federer. Nobody want to wait, final be Youzhny Davydenko at US Open (smiling). That's why we try to come better play here. For the fans American, should be Roddick play against Federer, it's okay.

Q. Are you really disappointed to lose today, or are you saying to yourself, This guy was unbeatable today?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I was disappointed for my game. Not like I was losing match. I play not so great. Not like somehow I want to play or something how I like to play. That's was disappointing from my side. I was feeling something not so perfect from my side, how I want to prove my game against Federer. That's was for today, I didn't prove. You know, now I need try again, play against.

Q. He's such a good player. Everybody's saying how great he is. Obviously, he's a nice guy in the locker room. Does it make it any easier to lose to him because he's all these things?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: (Smiling). I think in locker rooms, everybody nice and easy, you know. But if I am on the court, he's already consideration to kill you on the court. That's why it's completely different. In life, tennis player, everybody is nice. It's not like somebody want to kill already in locker room. But everybody talk. It's everything, yeah, normal. But in the court, is, yeah, is tennis, is sport.

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