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ROGERS MASTERS

August 9, 2007

Frank Dancevic

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

THE MODERATOR: This is the first time a Canadian has made the quarterfinals since 1989. Questions, please.

Q. Can you tell us about what this means to you.
FRANK DANCEVIC: Man, tonight was I think the most incredible experience of my life. I mean, you know, coming from last week, Indianapolis, I played there, winning in the semifinals, I thought that was like unbelievable. That was probably one of the greatest moments.
But this here was just unexplainable. I mean, first set, you know, I was kind of doubting myself. I didn't know what was going on. He was playing really well. Then I just, you know, told myself to go for it, let loose on some balls.
The crowd got behind me incredibly. They really, really pulled me through the match. You know, it was just really fun being out there.

Q. You're the first Canadian to get this far since 1989, Grant Connell and Andrew Sznajder. What does that mean to you?
FRANK DANCEVIC: That's pretty wild when I think about it. It's pretty cool. I mean, I don't know. I didn't even know that actually until you told me now. But I think that's pretty cool.

Q. Nadal tomorrow.
FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah, I mean, obviously I'm not, you know, used to playing Nadal every week. But I'm sure it's going to be pretty -- a pretty fun experience. I'm sure the crowd's going to be behind me just like they were today.
I'm just looking forward to it. I'm just really excited to be here. I was excited to get through my first round, never mind now. I got through the Round of 16, into the quarterfinals. I'm just having a really good time and having fun out here.

Q. Does the fact that you beat Roddick last week give you confidence against Nadal?
FRANK DANCEVIC: I think every match I win against a top 10 guy or a top 50 guy gives me confidence under my belt, helps me play better for upcoming matches.
Every win you get against a top guy, you have to play really well, and I gain confidence from it. So absolutely. I gained confidence from last week and this week.

Q. Do you or did you have travel plans to get to Cincinnati by Saturday morning?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah, I was supposed to play. Well, I don't know. I got to talk to my coach, see what's going on with that.
But my plan is to go and play quallies of Cincinnati. Since I'm playing well, I'm playing confident, just keep the streak going, you know, try to just roll with it and see how far I can take it.

Q. What about your plans to play the semifinal here on Saturday?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Well, then I'm sure my plans will be a little bit different because I'll get a special, right, into Cincinnati?
I wasn't really expecting that Monday when I started playing the tournament. But now that it's a possibility, it would be pretty cool. I still got to get through Nadal, so let's see what happens (laughter).

Q. The fan support late in the third set, energy seemed to build. You seemed to feed off it every point.
FRANK DANCEVIC: You know what, I can't even explain how they were tonight. They were unbelievable. I played Davis Cup. I've played many Davis Cup matches. The crowd was really loud and everything. They got me going.
But tonight was something I've never experienced before in my life. It was just unbelievable. They really, really lifted me up when I was kind of doubting myself in the first set and got me through the match.

Q. At what point did you really start to think you could or were going to win that match?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Well, I was having a little bit of difficulty returning his serve in the first set. Then all of a sudden the second set, I started seeing the ball a little bit better and I started returning better. When I broke him in the second set, I got belief because I'm serving well enough to hold most of the time. I just got belief that I could win the match.

Q. Did you take a peek over there, with the trainers, what was happening?
FRANK DANCEVIC: To be honest, I didn't really care what was going on. I didn't know even what he was injured. I was just trying to think about myself and stay focused. I was up a break. All I needed to do was hold serve for the rest of the match, and I knew I had it in my hands. I wasn't even worried about him, what he was doing, taping, whatever. I didn't even look over. I was just worried about myself, stay focused, just keep my serve.

Q. Where did you learn to speak French so well?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Well, I wouldn't say "well." But my mother's actually French Canadian. So she's from that Noranda. It's up north, I think. She made me go to French immersion when I was a kid for a couple years. Thanks, mommy (smiling).

Q. Speaking of your family, I called your grandmother last week.
FRANK DANCEVIC: You did? Phone book?

Q. Yes. She gave me a half-hour long lecture of the pronunciation of your last name.
FRANK DANCEVIC: How do you say it?

Q. She says not Dance-vik.
FRANK DANCEVIC: It's Dan-che-vich.

Q. I'm wondering what she told you before you came here.
FRANK DANCEVIC: My grandmother?

Q. Yes.
FRANK DANCEVIC: She gave me a big hug and a kiss and said, Good luck, honey.

Q. Like she did every time?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Every time. And she made me good cookies, homemade cookies.

Q. How do you want your last name pronounced?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Dan-che-vich.

Q. So there's two chich's?
FRANK DANCEVIC: Yeah. There's like a little -- in Yugoslavia, the way you write it, it's like with a little apostrophe or whatever you want to call it. I don't know what the name for it is. It gives you a 'chich' sound.

Q. What kind of cookies?
FRANK DANCEVIC: You don't know what they're called. They're called ko-la-cha. They're homemade. Secret. Don't worry, you're not getting the recipe.

End of FastScripts

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