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DAVIS CUP QUARTERFINALS: FRANCE v USAApril 11, 2008Michael LlordaWINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA THE MODERATOR: Questions for Michael, please. Q. How frustrating is it to play that well and lose? MICHAEL LLODRA: It's always difficult, you know, when you play this kind of match. Especially for me, you know, it was my first singles match. When you have to play Andy Roddick - and his serve - it's never easy. So I have to choose one side, you know. He served like 72% of first serves. It was pretty impressive with his serve. I do my best. It was not enough today. Q. Did you try to go to his backhand pretty regularly in the first set or throughout the match? Was is a left-hander versus right-hander thing? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, the key was to go on his backhand. I think it is sometimes difficult for him to make the passing shot with his backhand. But the only one, you know, in the third set, he make a very good one on the breakpoint. But it was the key, you know, to put the pressure on his backhand, yeah. Q. Did you feel that it was just a matter of a few big points; that if you'd won those, perhaps you would have won the match? And the umpire's overrule at 3-All in the tiebreak, how big a difference did that make? MICHAEL LLODRA: For sure, you know, in this kind of match, it's so close. He play not his best tennis, but the good tennis when it was for sure time. And maybe also for the overrule. You know, if the umpire have see the ball good, you have to overrule the ball. But it was not clear, so... That's life. Q. Did you think the ball was out? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, I saw the ball out. He make a job. If he saw the ball good, he have to overrule, even if it's 145 miles per hour. But it's tough at this part of the match. It's tough. Q. As far as the experience playing your first singles match, how was that? MICHAEL LLODRA: I was a little bit nervous before the match. But it's normal, you know. When you start the match, Davis Cup, like in Grand Slam, you always be a little bit nervous. But I think, you know, I was fit to play. I try to breath a lot. No, he make a good first set. So it was not about I was nervous, no. Q. Is there any concern about playing doubles tomorrow? MICHAEL LLODRA: You know, I have no -- physically, you know, I'm good. So I'm ready to play. Even if I play with Arnaud or Richard, you know, I'm fit to play. So we have to wait to the match, what's going on on the court, and we see after. Q. Do you walk away feeling good about how you played? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah. It was a good match. I would like to serve, you know, much better when I start the match. I don't have any good percentage. In the second and third set were much better with my serve. I would like to return more, but it's difficult. No, it was a good match, but not enough to beat him. Q. Did you like the surface a lot, how fast it was? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, yeah, I like the speed of the ball. I think he love it also. With his serve, you know, it's very tough to return. So I do my best. I try to move. But it's like this, you know. Q. How much confidence did you ultimately gain after you lost the first set, then you fell behind Love-40 in the first game of the second set, you were able to come back? Seemed like you dialed in on your serve after you won the first game. MICHAEL LLODRA: You know, when you are down 6-4 and Love-40 first game of the second set, you try to think point by point. At Love-40, you know, I say, C'mon, try to make your first serve in the court and after do your best. That's the only thing you can do. It was great to come back. Q. Andy said if you played on a surface like this all season, you would be ranked much higher than 40. Do you agree? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, I think so. I think, you know, if Andy didn't have his big serve, I can return more and I can put more pressure on his shoulders. But his serve was amazing. So it's tough to play this kind of player. But on the tour, they don't have any guy like this. There's only one or maybe two, like sometimes there's a good player that can serve like that. But, yeah, I can be better for sure. End of FastScripts |
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