September 10, 2006
THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You're the first Czech to win the junior title. Feelings right now?
DUSAN LOJDA: I think unbelievable I won right now. So I'm very happy. Was first tournament, first my win of Grand Slam. I'm very happy.
I think we showed to the people very good match today. It was very tough. I'm very happy. Q. How big a breakthrough do you think this is for you?
DUSAN LOJDA: I think it's very big point, because the winner of the US Open is unbelievable. I think I was playing good this year, so I had good results. But this was I think important, first place, for me. So I think I will play just better and better, step by step, to the ATP probably. Q. It's a good stepping stone to professional?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, I hope so. It is this. I hope it will be much better. Q. How much did the Futures that you played this summer contribute?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, I played the whole year Futures. I won one, one Future, and one final and just few quarterfinals. So I won some points and I moved to 600 or 500 ATP. So I made the good results this year. Q. Did that give you confidence then coming in?
DUSAN LOJDA: It's when you already play Futures, you are playing the men's tennis. Now in Juniors you are little bit up than who is playing Junior.
I think I was playing good here. I'm happy. Q. In the tiebreak today when he started to hit those shots long, did you sense that this was your opportunity to step up your game? He was making some mistakes in the tiebreaker.
DUSAN LOJDA: He was leading, I think, 2 0 or something in the tiebreak. It was very, very tough tiebreak. Open every ball. It was 4 All, he made just easy mistake. I had to serve. It was 7 4. I think it was tough tiebreak every point. Winners and mistakes, it was changing. Q. You said you knew him before the match. Did you go in with any different strategy today?
DUSAN LOJDA: Sorry? Q. Did you play a different strategy to what you normally play?
DUSAN LOJDA: I didn't play I think I played the same like the whole tournament. I played little bit power maybe because he was playing with the power. I didn't have any chance to play like slice or something like this. It was very power game today. Q. How much did you know about his game before going in?
DUSAN LOJDA: I saw that he was playing very good. Last week he played finals. This year he beat very good players, first seeded. I know that he was playing good.
But I didn't know, like, what he was playing, like power or service. I was watching semifinal, and I saw a little bit what is he playing. I was trying to play the best today for the winning. Q. Is this the first time you played him?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, first time, yeah. Q. The way he was playing, because he had that accident with his legs, he was in a wheelchair just a few months ago, can you talk about how he's playing. Did you keep that in mind?
DUSAN LOJDA: He was playing the power forehand and backhand, a lot of power. Is good serving. Very good running. He's very fast. I think he's playing everything good. Maybe just volleys, he didn't play so many volleys today. Is not maybe so good.
But he's very good player; he can play everything. Q. Did you know about his accident?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, I heard something, but I didn't play the whole year Junior tournament, so I didn't see him like from Australia or something. So I just heard something. It's unbelievable. He's back, and unbelievable. He's playing much better than before, I think. Q. Do you think you handled the emotions of the situation better than him?
DUSAN LOJDA: You mean today, the final? Q. Yeah.
DUSAN LOJDA: In the final, it's open match. It's open match for many people. I was a little bit nervous maybe from the start, but I wasn't so nervous today. I wasn't so nervous. I was playing just my tennis. And he was playing also good, but maybe a little bit he was a little bit more nervous than me. That's why I won first set tiebreak. I think it was a very good match for the final. Q. Why do you think he was a little more nervous than you?
DUSAN LOJDA: I don't know. For me, it wasn't so nervous. I don't know. Everybody taking that, like, the final, it's for everybody, it's moving somehow. Q. Early in the match, you were talking to yourself a bit and you double faulted on that breakpoint to make it 2 2. What were you telling yourself inside to keep reminding yourself to stay focused?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, I broke him. I broke him just first set, first game. I was leading 2 Love. I said, Yeah, is good start. But then I lost my serve. It was very good return. So it was then starting the match. It was 2 All, and it was starting like from 0 0. It was open match every game. Q. You only had about three people there cheering for you, right?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yes. Q. He seemed to have the crowd with him. Would you agree with that?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, I feel very good. I heard my name, Come on, Dusan. It was very nice. I was feeling very good. You are playing, and you don't hear what they are speaking. I was just playing my tennis and I was concentration for that. I didn't know if somebody was standing there. I was just playing my tennis. Q. Tell us what it's like when you get close, you're serving for it. What's going through your head?
DUSAN LOJDA: It's 7 6 and 5 3, on service. It's like for 100 person you have to win. But it was not like that. I was serving. I was Love 15. It was very important game. I made just two or three good service, then I won the game. And it was very important game. Q. Is there a big relief, as well as excitement and everything?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, yeah, it was. Q. How will you celebrate now, this victory?
DUSAN LOJDA: Excuse me? Q. How will you celebrate this victory?
DUSAN LOJDA: I don't understand the question, sorry.
I will we have flight in the evening at 6:00, so maybe in the airplane I take one beer. Because we fly with Czech Airlines, so I take one beer maybe.
I don't know. We have to go to some dinner or something, but I am going to play next, next tournament. So I have to be concentration for the next, next good results. But very good, very good result for me. So I'm very happy now. Q. Is this your last Junior
DUSAN LOJDA: It's last Junior. And I won. It's good, huh? Q. What's the difference between winning the Juniors and making it on the pro tour? What do you have to do for your game?
DUSAN LOJDA: I try to doing with the coach just important things, what I need to. Better service and maybe to better volleys. Because forehand, backhand, it's everybody's playing good. But I need more power.
The biggest problem is in the head because you have to concentration for the important points. It's 30 All, what to play.
So I think it's tennis, can play everybody. But when it's important point, it's difficult. Q. So the tennis isn't so different, but it's just how?
DUSAN LOJDA: Yeah, just in the head, I think. Q. You finished runner up at the European Juniors. What was different?
DUSAN LOJDA: It was on the clay. It was playing on the clay. So it was maybe tougher match. But I don't know. Was tougher. It was both both was very tough tournaments, but I was I think I was playing very good here. I think better than in champions Europe.
|
