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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 3, 2008

Nikolay Davydenko

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Very fast match. Can you talk about that?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Umm, what I can tell, just play fast and pretty good, good serve and good return.
It was -- today was very hot. You know, balls for me fly much better and I have good control. First three matches played three sets. Today was I think, for me, more, you know, easy match.

Q. Assuming that Roger Federer wins his match tonight, after these losses that keep mounting up to Roger, do you ever go home and think, I'll try something new next time? I think I have the way to play him now?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Umm, yeah, I lose him already 11 times. You know, it's really -- it doesn't matter if I losing more times, 12 times.
Just, yes, for me it would be good to win tomorrow. Because beginning here in Miami, I was feeling -- I never play very good here. It's like for me, I don't know why, but I come to Indian Wells, Miami, I never reach, you know, third round or fourth round.
It's my first time to be here in semifinal, and, like, maybe something change, you know. Very good fighting first matches. You know, it's happening now, little bit be lucky winning match, coming next round and already in the quarterfinal play much better. Already different level. You play, you feeling ball, you're feeling much better, and you're hitting better. That's was you never know what's coming in semifinal.

Q. Do you do something different with Roger, then, next time?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Normally, I would say -- I already try 11 times, you know, to do something different. But for me, it's important how I play. Roger play the same always.
For me, I feeling I have much better serve, I can good play baseline and try to make much -- I think I play little bit much faster now in the moment.
That's was -- we'll see. I don't know, you know, Roddick also can beat Federer. You never know what's happens. I don't want to think only about Federer. I need to think about Roddick also.

Q. In some of the matches against Roger you were like the better player, and every time you got close it kind of slipped away from you. How do you look back -- do you agree with that?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes, many times happening already. It was in Paris Roland Garros and last time in US Open in the third set. I have set points. Mostly I have -- I have many times -- I have enough -- many chance to win sets, you know, and tough.
No, it's be mentally or Federer is maybe more lucky. This is, I don't know. I don't know now, because some guys beat him, like Djokovic beat already. Other guys beat him. Why not?
Yeah, I can also beat him. I maybe need to think about.

Q. You say you don't really believe that you sometimes can beat him.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, no. It's not like believe in the match. I try to do my best. I try to win, and, I don't know, he's like lucky, always come back and winning match.

Q. Sorry to insist with this subject, but now, considering that CÃ£nas beat him twice, Nalbandian beat him twice, Volandri beat him, Fish beat him, so this doesn't create in you a difference sensation when you will go into the court to face him again?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe it's like Federer is not so good enough, but how you say? Hmmm, it's great, you know, to, you know, if you beat him in the first round it's much better, you know, not like if you come into the semifinal or final.
Because at this level he's already top fit also and he play very good. And from beginning first round he play not so great and just slowly, slowly he start to play much better and better.
That's was always I reach him in the semifinals and I play my best tennis. He play also, and I have always chance to win and, you know, unlucky.

Q. You said, you know, Roddick might win this. Talk a little bit about Roddick. I know you haven't beaten him either. Talk about his game a little bit. What's tough?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Great serve. Just, you know, very tough, you know, to returning, because good confidence just in the serve make so many aces and play very good forehand, you know, try to fight.
He knows he can win easy serve, and then try and, you know, make some risk in returning, and try to, you know, try to win, try to fight, just one make break and for him enough.
Just can win, you know, 6-4, 6-3. That's was -- okay, it's like Roddick is not Federer. Just little bit slow, but we'll see.
Roddick have good touch and also top fitness also. Very difficult to beat him.

Q. The other thing is Tipsarevic said very nice things about you today. He said that he thought you were one of the steadiest players on the tour and you've gone through a lot in the past, but you always seem to be able to concentrate on your matches. Can you talk about that, how hard it's been at times, or has it been in the past? And how do you, you know, stay steady and concentrate when all sorts of things are going on around you?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Umm, maybe I'm not so crazy guy like Tipsarevic. (laughter.)
You know, if you have some good support, you know, from my team, my brother, my wife, it's very important, because I need to talk with someone, you know, from my family.
This was always -- yeah, sometimes I always try, you know, can be crazy and I don't want to play tennis or something. But always if you have support from family you can, you know, to do something for you and you relaxing, from start from zero, start again to concentration and play tennis.

Q. What are your thoughts on the Olympic Games this year? Both your thoughts personally about Beijing and also about the status of tennis at the Olympics.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: It's really tough, like, say, after America fly to China and then come back. I was already flight. I fly Peking after US Open and it was 12 hours fly and 12 hours difference between U.S.A. and Asia. That's was is completely day and night, and recovery maybe three or four days. It's so tough.
This's was, you know, coming there, three or four days recovery, come back to America and recover again, it's not so easy.

Q. Your English is much better now.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe. Maybe.

Q. If your name is ever cleared by the ATP, will you sue the ATP?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Umm, no, it's not cleared by ATP yet. It's still investigation, but I don't hear about anything. Not yet.
It's like still waiting for my brother telephone records. But it's no reason. Just I don't know he tried to get -- I give it my numbers, both what he tried to get, I give it already. He checked, like, last year. He tried to get for my brother, also, phone records.
I don't know if, like, say -- it's, okay, like my lawyer is doing everything to don't give it. But really, I don't care. I can give it. It's no problem, but it's also I need time, you know, to call to telephone company and we need to get receipts and blah, blah, blah.

Q. But if your name is cleared and the ATP finally says, no, he was not involved in this. We're sorry all this happened --
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah.

Q. -- will you sue the ATP?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Umm, you know, I'm already pay for the lawyers enough money, you know, to defend me. Now if I try to sue ATP, I don't know, I lose all my prize money from the tour (laughter.)
I don't think it should be, you know, to sue the ATP for some reason, because ATP doesn't do anything bad about me. I don't know what can ATP do just investigating. They don't find anything proof. I don't know when it's closing case.

Q. But Ronnie says, when I talked to him, he is prepared that you should sue if that's the case. Ronnie Leitgeb says he thinks you should look into suing. He's your advisor, right?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, it's like -- yes, but, yeah, everything what I need to talk with my manager and my lawyer.
I just now try -- I feeling great now. Just concentration on tennis. I have no pressure from anyone. This was good for me.

Q. Regarding the Olympics, we understand the situation with so much flying. But you're almost like better about it, aren't you, playing in one place one week and then another place the next? You're definitely committed to the Olympics, are you, or are you thinking about...
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I'm thinking about it. I don't want to say 100% I go to Olympics in consideration for Olympic Games, because for me it's not very important in America to play and play after Olympics US Open also.

Q. I see you've never won a Grand Slam. How important to you is that as a goal?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Oh, now like winning Grand Slam, it's very important, and you think about are you also going to also tell about Olympics, yeah? Yeah winning gold is also important.
But every tournament win, is very important. Doesn't matter whether you win. It's already in your memory. I don't think about -- now I don't think about any Olympics or any Grand Slam tournament. Just think about what I play here in Miami, and what's coming future I don't know.

Q. Because normally the top players, they say they really focused on the Grand Slams, and you're saying you're focusing on everything, not specifically the big tournaments.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No, no, no, on Grand Slam I really focus, yeah. I try my best in Grand Slam, but I try in every tournament, you know, my best.

End of FastScripts

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