|
|||
|
|||
|
 |
|
|
TENNIS MASTERS CUPNovember 17, 2006Nikolay DavydenkoSHANGHAI, CHINA THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You had talked all week about confidence and being tired. Is that what happened today? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes, maybe also. Because like beginning all time like feeling great, good concentration, play fast, moving fast. That's was maybe coming later. Like, how you say? Maybe it's like also like James Blake also saying I was tired in the match. Today I tried to play like all match good concentration. I did. But sometimes, yes, like beginning in first set, I move good, good hitting balls in the lines, and play well. It's because concentration was well, I was fit, was feeling great. Then some long rally, because Nadal try to fight, try to play from baseline, topspin, he running well. Try to be slowly in the match. That's was I feeling little bit tired and did some mistake. It's not like many mistake, it's just few, and then losing some points, losing my serve, that's was I losing set. It was a high, you know, happening game in the first set. Also he try to fight. He fight very well in these points, and winning then my serve. Q. I think that was the first time you played against Rafa. What's your impression? What's so difficult when you have to face a player like this? What is so difficult in his game for the opponent? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Uhm, like, he's young now. Just he running well, fighting well, like right, left. Like Spanish guy, but running amazing because like very fast. And, second, it's lefty. Just second serve topspin, he make it, and it was tough to returning. I cannot push him in the second set. Yeah, that's was I get little bit problem. I just tried to return. I was too slow. He hitting, try to good make good topspin right to the left. This was two points was tough against him. But not only he didn't play so fast, he just make topspin. I don't see something difficult from my side from baseline. I was in control all time, try to hit him to run baseline to the lines and, yeah, maybe little bit like lucky and little bit get more concentration better, maybe movement by my legs better to the balls. Should be I think changing, you know, match. Q. You always look so even in the match, and you don't appear very happy when you hit the good ball and you don't feel disappointed when you hit not so satisfying. NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Chinese style. Chinese mode, how you say. Q. Do you feel little bit cold blood? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Killer, how you want to say to me (smiling)? Chinese killer now, huh, in Shanghai? I am done. Not anymore, you know. No, no, no. Like, yeah, try. Because tennis is now a little bit different from my side because if I want to play good, I need to be concentration well. Because something if I want to tell in the court, because I losing power, looks me, I am not so strong guy. If I cannot lose power less. If I want to say something in the court or something broke the racquets, that's was I lose more and more power. That's was I try to keep power myself and try just concentration the match, try to win my match, and then I tell you something have after the match, what you want (smiling). Q. I noticed that you're wearing this kind of jersey with a leading brand. What is your comment on that, please? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's about now like, say, before, everybody ask me why I don't have sponsorship, you know, like stuff. Now we get - I don't know how you say - deal maybe right now in this moment. We just spoke about Li Ning. Because nobody knows, only in China. But in China is very popular, yeah? It's very, I think, beginning in new market coming. Now is number one in China. But in the futures, it should be coming for the world. It be also the big. You know, because China is everything do, you know? Nike, everything is in China. That's why not Li Ning? I say, like, feeling great. I play first time like in T-shirt and everything. It was looks okay, looks nice, and comfortable play in match. T-shirt was very good. Feeling not like because -- but everything do in China, what I want to tell you about? I think for the future if I make contact by Li Ning, it's be good. Like get top 10 player in the world, like new company, I think it's very good for the China, and then everybody knows in the world what is the company is it. I think it's a very great. Q. Now you play at least once against Federer and once against Nadal. I just want to know how the No. 3 in the world see the semifinal. Who is favorite? Who do you think is gonna win? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Not me (smiling). Q. But how do you see the match on this surface? If you can talk about this semifinal, how do you see it? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Like was first group was tough, but was interesting. Nalbandian coming to semifinal. Normally, like I don't know. Maybe is final be Nalbandian-Federer again. It's be also interesting. I don't know. Nadal is fighting well. He play against Federer, yeah, semifinal. That's was Federer in indoor better, I think, so that's what he coming to. His confidence I think better by Federer. I don't know, like Blake play good. Nalbandian play good. I don't want to say for somebody. I think it's came -- Federer can win Masters. What I can tell you? I don't think so Nadal can win, no, no (smiling). Q. You've played I think 32 tournaments this year, double what Rafa played this year. You're going to take a decent break now, and if you are, are you going to decrease your schedule for next year, play few you are tournaments? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes, I do my schedule. Last year I play some doubles. Next year, I don't play doubles. Still play singles. I don't know how many tournaments I play next year. I try to play many, but it depends how make result, depends how I play, depends if I not injured, feeling great like in this year. Why not, I can play well. I am too young. How would some guys say, You are now 25, how are you feeling? I say, I feeling now not like 25, like younger and younger every year. Q. Also about your schedule, last time you said you are not physically ready for top 10 guys. We see that. So if you skip Paris like other top six guys did, any difference tonight? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Uhm, how I say? In Paris was different surface. It's was Gerflor. It's not so easy to running there. Like here Nadal make it or Robredo. Because I play against Robredo there. It was for me easy make winners, play very fast. Here, it's completely different. I try to hit balls but to the line. I play well. I feel good control. He running, and, you know, he keep his ball, try to make topspin. Just to every ball he running, and I can't make winners because too slow here. That's was completely different surface. Now in Davis Cup we have the same not here, like in Paris. It's little bit faster and not so easy to running. Q. What's your evaluation about the whole season, about your year in the circuit? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Finish top 3, it's great, you know. I don't know like how I can finish because is Blake still in the tour. I think if Federer win tournament, I still No. 3. If Blake win, I be No. 4, you know. Like depends how is it go points here and after the tournament. But already for me, Roddick not play, Ljubicic already out, and already I finish No. 3 in the world. Like some ask me last year, Finish 5, what you want it next year? I say, No, I try to my best. I don't know, we'll see in the futures. Now I No. 3. We don't know. We'll see in the futures what I next year (smiling). Q. We know that in Beijing the accommodation, the hotel you stay in is about 13 miles away from the venue. Did you go to some of the places in Shanghai other than the venues here? What is your impression of Shanghai? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think it's was very nice hotel, Hilton (laughing). But, okay, wait, wait. Few times already I was in the shopping area, different place. It's was nice. I buy some stuff, okay, it's not real stuff. Okay, fake, how you say (laughter)? It's not for me. Wait. Here goes my wife here, brother here, brought wife here. Everybody wanted some stuff to buy here. You know, bring it back to Europe. You can't buy this in Europe, in this price, what you can get here. That's interesting, spend few hours there, spend few hours there, buy something. I make two good suit for me. In China, you can do everything. Q. You are No. 3 in the world right now, which is actually your best result in your career. What do you still have to improve to go higher? Second question, if you look at Federer and Nadal, tomorrow there will be the match. What do you think Federer has to do to beat Nadal, and the other way, what Nadal has to do to beat Federer? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think Federer get good concentration by first serve, and play also the same he goes by forehand, try to make winners and go to the net. Michael Chang come to me and say I was 17 times go to the net and 14 I won. That's was I prove something go to the volley. I think I need to go more and more to the net, play against Spanish guy like Nadal or Robredo, some these guys, because is running right, left, and I need to finish. I need to try. And Federer did every time like this against this guy. He try to hit. He try to make some winners and go to the net and make winners there, finish by net. And Nadal against Federer, I don't know. Running more faster and more topspin and fighting, fighting. What I can tell you about Nadal? Q. For two years now you've been on a very good level. Was there something that made you jump to this kind of level? Did you feel any detail? Was there anything that you can precise that made you do the jump to the next level? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I think it's after coming clay court season. I finish and was coming hard court like Montreal, Cincinnati. I didn't play well. And try something, improve, like physically training, try something to change from clay court to hard court tennis. That's was surprising, like try different like movement, little bit more faster, no topspin, try to hit more winners. That's was is coming. It's like coming automatically from the games, from every match. That's was after winning New Haven, like feeling good of hard court. I never play very well in US Open, and then coming, I play well. And that's was confidence go higher. I feeling by self I can play very well also in hard court. I do good result also. Coming in indoor, winning indoors also tournament. That's was every year I think it's like - how you say? - why I play 32 tournaments. Every year I prove something. For every tournament, if I play so many matches, I see for what I need to work, how I need to work, and for the futures what I need to do better and better. Q. What would you consider to be the Grand Slam that your game is best-suited for? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Uhm, like, also I think everybody see my baseline is be great because normally, like, control from baseline I get very well, I do winners, I do control. Yes, for improve my Grand Slam. If I want to win Grand Slam titles, I need to be physically for five sets be good. And I think, like, I would say go to the nets more and finish like points by net and sometimes good concentration by first serve. That's was I need to more work, more practicing like in December I think. But I am not on holiday - not yet. I have Davis Cup final. That's why I say I don't think about now what I want to do for the next season. Now I try to, like, concentration for next week in Moscow. We try to win there. Then already spent in December time for thinking about what I need to do next year. Q. Your wedding ceremony after the Masters Cup, so how is the process going in when will be your wedding ceremony? Where will you hold it? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Which ceremony, wedding? Q. Wedding, yeah. NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Ha... (smiling). Everybody want to know. Is be 25th November, be like next week, Saturday, in Moscow. It's be great restaurant, maybe for 60 people. It's coming all like all the Russian federation, all tennis player, my team. Should be everybody there. All Russian player I think. Also Andreev with injury is coming. He say I come from Spain for sure for my wedding because he was my double partner. If somebody not coming, I don't play Davis Cup. That's why everybody scared (smiling). Q. You always play more concentration on your match, but the tennis fans pay less concentration on you. Do you think it was unfair to you, 'cause at the same time, Federer was evaluated the most sexiest tennis player by People magazine? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: What, I need to take out my shirt and pants and everything and say, Oh, I be sexy the most? Maybe outside the court, okay, not in the court because I need to play tennis there. Maybe after tennis I try to do something. Q. So what's the key factor behind the phenomenon that you lack some focus by the fans? NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe I not too strong? I don't know. I ask you why. Tell me. You are fans. Tell me what I need to improve. Maybe better body. Maybe shave or something, no shave. End of FastScripts |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
About ASAP Sports •
FastScripts Archive •
Recent Interviews •
Captioning •
Upcoming Events •
Contact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links |
|
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297
|