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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2007

Novak Djokovic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What can you say about the match? How do you feel afterwards? What happened?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I'm feeling sorry for losing a match. That's always how you feel, I guess, after losing a match - even that you lost against the best player in the world.
I have to say generally looking, I have to be satisfied with all I did in Australia, in Adelaide, and here as well. Today I didn't have any feeling for first serve. I was missing a lot of serve. Very low percentage.
I think everything started from there for their own because serve is very important, especially if you play against a player who uses every opportunity you give him, even the slightest opportunity you give him.
I didn't have confidence in the serve. I was always the -- the bad thing for me in all three sets is that I was always chasing him. He was always break up. In the second set I managed to come back.
Unfortunate game on 6-5 for him. I was 40-15 up. Just made some really easy unforced errors. If you play against this kind of player, he just uses it and wins the set.
If I managed to get to the tiebreak, maybe with a little bit lucky could win the set, then things would change. But, of course, I can't come back right now.
You know, I feel sorry for losing. But generally looking, I'm really positive.

Q. Was it a bit of an overwhelming experience?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I was trying to be throughout all the match positive, to focus on every point and try to really play my best tennis. But, you know, in some moments, it was just the frustration because of my serve and some strokes. I just couldn't believe what I missed in some positions, some situations.
You know, in a match you feel a lot of pressure. You feel you're dealing with a lot of stuff. You're thinking about a lot of things. It's normal to have reactions like that.

Q. Did you at any point during the match get a feeling that you got a look into the guy, that you could get in and have a good grip on the game?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: In the second set, I felt that I had opportunity. Especially 5-All, it was 30-All, I guess 30-15, some easy backhand I missed. 6-5, again. Pretty close games then. He was a little bit struggling, making some mistakes, which he usually didn't make. I felt my chance there.
Unfortunately for me, well, I guess less experience and just rushing too much, easy mistakes. He got back into it, just won second set. After that it was more or less routine. Really I was trying to fight in the third set, as well. Again, he made this break. I had breakpoint at 4-2, I guess. Didn't use it. It's all right.

Q. Is it going to be a valuable experience for you having played Roger in a Grand Slam tournament?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's always a good experience playing Roger. Wherever you get to play him, it's always a great experience because you always learn some new things from the matches with him. I won from these three matches one set against him, but more or less on different kinds of surfaces.
I just can have some positive thoughts after the matches and try to get some things together and see and talk to my coach and the people, see what I need to work on mostly to beat a player like Federer is.

Q. What's the difference playing against him or anybody else?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: The difference is, first of all, of course sometimes it looks really funny the way he plays, so confident, so perfect in some situations. It feels like and looks like he doesn't feel any pressure, which is very strange because he's No. 1 and everybody wants to get this spot. He's so superior.
You know, it's a big difference because he's there, he knows that he's best on the world. He played against more or less all the players in the world. With most of them he has a positive score, except Nadal. He's just feeling pretty comfortable on the court.
You know, he improved on his game, which is a funny thing. He improved a lot. Every time you see him he improves. I don't know, on what things he can improve on in the future (laughter)? But he really plays better and better every time.

Q. You were pretty confident before the game. Now what is your feeling? Are you as confident in your capacity after the match?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yes, I'm still feeling okay. Maybe some people think, Okay, what is this guy thinking. He's so confident. He thinks he can beat Roger. Now I lose three straight sets. Okay, they think I feel the other way.
But I think that's the only way you actually can win against a player like Federer. You have to be positive. You have to be confident to win. That has to be your goal for the match against him 'cause if you think the other way, just to play your best tennis, just to perform well, then you can't do it.
I'm feeling still okay, like I said, a little bit sorry that I lost, that I couldn't win a set and put him in a bit difficult position, situation. But, of course, there is a future in front of me. There's a lot more tournaments. I hope to play a lot more matches against him.

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