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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (MEN)

May 11, 2007

Nikolay Davydenko

ROME, ITALY

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You saved a lot of breakpoints in the third set. Do you think you're becoming more famous now?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't know where. Maybe here in Italy. Because it's not like famous, for me it's important coming back after not so great time, season of clay court, like losing in Monte-Carlo first round.
I already try after Monte-Carlo play very well in Barcelona, and I have injury. It's bad luck. That was why it was important, it was fast recovery changing from hard court to clay court and it was happening again, and then injury and then I cannot do anything.
And was surprising here I starting to play better and better. And, okay, it's important also to be physically, like every day play almost two hours tennis is pretty tough.

Q. How important was the fact that you beat Marat in that first match? I mean, that was probably the match you didn't want to play here in the first match.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: For me, like for me first round is most important, because like, how I say, if you win first round you mentally like tennis, like in your head a little bit different. You changing. You already win one match and you already can play better for second match.
It was very great. It was like, say, winning first match is like for me, I don't know, coming to the final.

Q. Today there was less pressure than yesterday? You feel very comfortable with the crowd?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. Today was better for me. It's always like if you play in France against French guy and Italy against Italian, people try to support him every point. Doesn't matter what you did, they try to support.
And that's was maybe Starace play the best tennis. He try to like Davis Cup to play. It was at home. Try to fight every point. For me, like if I do some easy mistake, crowd, the people already happy, support him. Like I was disappointing. That's why is different.
Here you do mistake, nobody happy. This was already like everybody happy if you do winners you play great shot. This is different; it's good.

Q. In your opinion, Volandri can beat Berdych?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: After Federer, you never know, because Volandri play very well yesterday. If he play like every day, you know, the same, like tennis good, yeah, he can beat Berdych. Why not? Everyone can beat Berdych. I can beat also Berdych.
I think I beat always Berdych. No, I say, you know, like everybody can beat me. Why not? You tell me the questions can Volandri can beat Berdych? Why not? If he beat Federer he can beat Berdych also.

Q. What do you think about Nadal?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: What I need to think about him? Just, you know, it's like Robredo, Spanish guy, only lefty and more physically fit. Because Robredo was tired after first set already in the second set. I see already he didn't run like so much in the second set.
Nadal running first set, second set, third set. I think for him it's, yeah, five sets, the same. That's was he's physically very strong. I think it's pretty tough he beat him here because court is not so fast.
You know, I tried to make like move Robredo right, left, he running good and he bring back balls every time and I did mistake.
That's was if Nadal running for sure the same, or more faster. He have the top spin more. You never know. For me it's like to be lucky, if I hitting balls to the line and always in. That's was for me I think most important. It's like I can bring all ball in the court.

Q. You're not as famous as Marat or Roger, but you're a fantastic player. In traveling the world, has there been one time when you were surprised when somebody recognized you, who knew who you were, that you were Nikolay Davydenko?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. I was surprising already in Indian Wells, in America. I was not so famous, but people, you know, they knows Davydenko. That's was for me interesting.
You know, like after and I think US Open semifinal and I was already more famous in America. This was good.

Q. You like that, or would you rather be more private?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I like to be more private, yeah. Not like famous like Roddick or Federer or Nadal. That's why I was maybe more private.

Q. If you were in a clay court tournament and Nadal is on the next practice court, would you watch him practice, or would you think, I'd rather not actually watch him play at all, I'd rather walk by and not look at him?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: In the practice he play different game. In practice he hitting so hard and try to do short points in the match completely different. In the match he running more and more control, more top spin.
He try to bring all ball back and high top spin. That's what different between practicing and match, he's different tennis.
And I think -- I play against Nadal already in Shanghai, but it was indoor and different. But I know I practice already before in Mallorca and he hit hard. Yeah, he already coming from hard court season and prepare for clay and he already like how I ask him now you're coming clay. Yeah.
You know, he get confidence 200%. He say, Now it's coming my surface. That was only his words to give him for confidence. He knows he coming to the court and he running good. He winning every match. He winning every ball. He try to win every point.
It's not like I think he get so unbelievable tennis. I think he get unbelievable confidence on this surface and he is physically strong. It support him very well.

Q. How many days did you practice with him in Mallorca?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I play exhibition there. That was before Monte-Carlo.

End of FastScripts

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