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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2008

Roger Federer

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Roger, what are your thoughts on the incredible match we saw out there on center court?
ROGER FEDERER: I thought it was great. A bit unusual, you know, to have a third round five setter for me. It hasn't happened ever, I think, in a Grand Slam for me. Maybe at the French once.
But, look, I thought it was a great match, you know. He played fantastic tennis throughout the match. It came down to the wire, so, yeah, I'm happy. I'm the one who came through.

Q. He said he outplayed you from the baseline. Was there a specific area that you felt in trouble with?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I was missing quite a few shots in the beginning, you know. I had a few unforced errors, you know. Still was up a break, serving for the set. So that cost me dearly, you know, being broken back and letting him back into the match.
He played really one good shot after that in the tiebreaker, you know, the set point, which I could have maybe volleyed but you know how it is. It's not easy in that stage.
But I mean, he did well. He fought really hard, didn't miss much, and he was way better than back when I played him in Davis Cup and beat him quite easily. So I was impressed by his game. He was serving very well in his first serve, and when it was down two sets or one set all it's not that easy to play that easy game.
He put a lot of pressure on me, and I agree he had the upper hand from the baseline.

Q. You went 21 break points and you made only five breaks. That was not usual in your game. What is your explanation? He was serving well or you were returning so-so or what?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, look, it happens sometimes. I had that a few times in my career already. I create myself so many opportunities, and then it's just you don't make them. I mean, he played great, you know. Give him credit for playing as well in the big points.
That's exactly what I meant on the court as well. I missed so many opportunities in the first three sets, which I think I should have won them all, you know. I'm down two sets to one, and I feel like, Why is this happening this way? But he was hanging in there. I missed my opportunities and just I couldn't play the way I normally play maybe on those big points.
It was one of those days, you know. I just maybe didn't feel that great. But I fought hard, and it's just a good feeling, coming back from two sets to one and winning like that in the fifth.

Q. He had three break points and he made three breaks immediately.
ROGER FEDERER: That was my problem, yeah. I didn't play well on -- maybe that well on the break points myself. But on his break points, same thing. I couldn't get, you know, the serves I wanted, even though I served great tonight.
So it was actually one of those matches I didn't play too bad, you know, but just had those moments where I, you know, just couldn't win the big points tonight. His credit.

Q. A four-hour match like that so early in the tournament, is that beneficial for your campaign, or a hindrance?
ROGER FEDERER: We'll see. We'll see. (laughter) We'll see how it goes. But honestly, for me it's good to play five setters once in a while. It gives me a lot of information, how I'm feeling, and what I still have to work on maybe.
Just being there in a five setter is good for me because I'm hardly ever there. It's good for my mindset for the next one. Maybe he has an advantage or a disadvantage already having played a five setter this week, you know. My last five setter was back in Wimbledon, I guess.
So it doesn't happen every time. When it happens you have to take the most out of it. You know, check it out for yourself, and then move on. So hopefully I'll be ready for the next one.

Q. The condition you can play in Melbourne, you know, open, with the roof closed, which one do you prefer?
ROGER FEDERER: In terms of what?

Q. Roof, the situation.
ROGER FEDERER: I'm pretty easy, you know. I don't mind. I'm happy it's this way.

Q. Was that the toughest match since the Wimbledon final? And was there any moment in the fifth set where you just couldn't get a look at his serve that you were thinking it might go wrong tonight?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I don't know. I mean, doesn't give me much time to think about what happened since Wimbledon. But, yeah, I guess it is, you know, the toughest match since. It's been the longest one, you know, by far in a while, as well.
I thought the level was -- it was pretty high throughout, except those, you know, few moments where I didn't play so well in the big points. What was the --

Q. Were you at any point concerned as the match went on?
ROGER FEDERER: Oh, yeah. Yeah, of course you're concerned. Especially like I said I'm not often in those situations. So, sure, you feel the crowd's getting into it, the opponent is getting into it, and then, yeah, things are the just not happening. On top of that, all the opportunities missed, you know, put me in a lot of pressure.
And I was back against the wall and I was playing a guy who's confident and believes in his chance. So it was difficult, you know. But I tried to sort of block that out when I entered the fifth set, and I was happy I really served well and didn't give him much opportunity.
The longer the match went on I just thought he was getting more and more tired, and I just knew if I hang in there and serve well, hopefully it's going to end my way. But we've seen so many crazy things happen in those stages, so you can't really believe too much in that, as well.

Q. Was there a specific moment when you were more worried?
ROGER FEDERER: No. All the time a little bit, but not really.

Q. What was the problem with your feet?
ROGER FEDERER: I thought my nail broke after the first set, so I played with it for another set, I think, and then I just wanted to check it out. I was happy it wasn't broken, so I just cut a piece off just to make sure it wouldn't hurt me, you know. Because a broken nail can be quite something.
So I was -- it was a funny feeling I had in my toe. I was happy it wasn't a problem.

Q. You say that he believed in his chance. Do you enjoy playing a match against a guy like that more than a guy who you see his shoulders slump a little bit and know that he doesn't believe that he can beat you?
ROGER FEDERER: No. Everybody believes they can beat me. It's just a matter guys don't have the opportunity of being ahead two sets to one, especially lower-ranked guys. Of course they're going to believe in their chance even more so.
But these guys can play. We all know it. Men's tennis has incredible depth, and he did well tonight. That's all I can say, really. He's become a hell of a player.

Q. Do you have any idea what the tattoo on his arm says?
ROGER FEDERER: The one on his back? Have you seen that one? That's even bigger. So, no, I don't know. I don't want to know.

Q. Given the recent illness, was there any stage where it particularly set in and you felt you were getting low on the tank?
ROGER FEDERER: I just felt slow from the start really. It wasn't one of those matches where I came out and just felt this is going to be a great night of tennis tonight. It just sort of felt -- took me a while to get into the match, really. It took me a couple sets almost to feel like, okay, slowly warming up.
It's an unusual feeling, you know, but you sometimes feel things are not happening for you, and it was one of those nights tonight. No, I mean, I'm happy that the sickness didn't bother me today in the match, and that's what I told you guys. I wasn't bluffing or anything. I thought I was ready for those matches, and I proved it tonight, which is nice.

Q. Did you get to thinking during the match, jeez, this court is so slow?
ROGER FEDERER: No, it was quick. Look, the aces we served, if you hit through the ball and hit flat and hard, that's what he was doing. It's tough, you know. I could hardly approach the net today because of the flatness and the length of my opponent's play.
It plays quick when you want to. Absolutely. If you can keep the points short it's a quick game out there. It can get also pretty slow, which is I think a fair surface.

Q. The other match hasn't started yet. If you were in that position, would you be want to be going out to play at midnight potentially?
ROGER FEDERER: I went out at 11:30 at the US Open once, Court 8. That was fun. They got Rod Laver so they shouldn't be complaining.

Q. Tipsarevic just said he's reading for the third time The Idiot of Dostojevski.
ROGER FEDERER: What?

Q. It's a book called The Idiot. I ask you which book are you reading?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. Maybe his, once he's done. I'm not reading any books at the moment. I've got homework to do.

End of FastScripts

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