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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2007

Fernando Gonzalez

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Your thoughts on the game, and also why is he so hard to beat?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I mean, Roger took every opportunity. I had my opportunity in the first set. I couldn't make it. I feel that he's a great player. He can make everything.
But he's defending really well. I mean, when I attack him, he's back in the middle, and that confuse you a little bit. That was really important in his game.

Q. What will you take out of this game?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: No, from the tournament, I've been playing really good tennis. I was talking with my coach. I did four finals in the last five tournaments, so I'm in a good level.
I'm still improving. I feel that I can still improve in other things. I mean, it's very positive tournament for me.

Q. What made the difference between you and him today?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Well, I didn't take my opportunity, and then he pass over me. In the first set, he only needs one break per set. He was playing really good tennis.

Q. Is the shoulder pain affecting your game?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: No. I mean, if you go to the final of a Slam, playing two weeks, best-of-five sets, you have to have at least one pain. I mean, if I'm on court, I keep playing. I mean, I don't have anything. I have tired my shoulder, my legs, everything. But is part of the tennis.
I mean, is easy to say I have pain, but it's not my case. I think he win today with tennis.

Q. He seemed to move you around very well?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: He moved me well. He was playing very good against the wind. He start to play short angles, and that's take me out of my position. I think he did really well that.

Q. Do you feel like Federer is beatable?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, of course. But is tough, you know. Is really tough. But I think I lost like 10 times with him already. But every match is a new match, so I have to try next match.

Q. You played him 10 times. Was he his toughest tonight?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: He was missing little bit with his forehand, and he give me the chance in the first set. I didn't do too much, and he give me that chance, and I didn't took it. But only in the first set. After he was playing really, really well.

Q. You came from No. 9 at the start of this competition to No. 5. That's a great result for you, being 5th at the end of all of this?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, it's really big for me. I know that I can go forward. This tournament was really important for me - not only in the numbers, but in my game. I can still play in best-of-five-set matches. I did six, but I play four in a really good level.

Q. Stefanki, with three players he went to No. 1: McEnroe, Rios and Kafelnikov. Do you think you can be No. 1?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, of course. I have tennis to be No. 1. But Roger is really far away now, so I have to be ready. I have to be ready when Roger goes down a little bit (smiling).

Q. Of the many streaks that Federer has established, is there any one that's particularly impressive to you?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: What?

Q. Seven consecutive Grand Slam finals, weeks at No. 1.
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: He's on the way to be the maybe best player ever. But, I mean, he makes tennis very simple. And when he have a chance, he take it. Is tough to play to a player -- to the player like him.

Q. Can he win the French?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I think so. He did final last year. He lost to Nadal, that is tough on clay. But he can do it.

Q. Do you think he will? Is this the year?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I don't know. Rafa is really tough on clay. But Roger have been playing really well during many years.

Q. You talked about the opportunities in the first set. How much does that sit in your stomach, the missed opportunities at a Grand Slam final? How hard is that to get over?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: Yeah, maybe the match will be different if I won the first set. But maybe I can lost in four sets. I think every time when I play with Roger, I never won the first set. So that was really maybe a key.
But he was playing in a good level. And after that, I mean, one break in each set, and that's it. He was winning his serve very easy. Most of the time I was a little bit -- today he was playing really well against the wind. I lost twice the serve with the wind. I was serving much better from that side, so it was a little bit weird.

Q. Is that a big regret, not taking that?
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: You never know what's going to happen. Maybe it's different. But two chances, yes.

Q. What plan did you go in with? You seemed to use the dropshot a lot. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't.
FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ: I did it when I was against the wind. The ball comes to you all the time. If you make a normal dropshot, it's really good against the wind. But he was playing good today. I mean, he put me a lot of pressure, especially on that side.

End of FastScripts

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