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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

July 29, 2008

Robby Ginepri

CINCINNATI, OHIO

R. FEDERER/R. Ginepri
6-7, 7-6, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. That was really close. What were your feelings as you were serving for the match?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Honestly I was just caught up in the match and I didn't have too many feelings. Usually I would get pretty nervous or tight at that point, but from the first set on at 4-All, 5-4 I was already -- my anxiety was at a pretty high level.
So the looking across the net and seeing Roger and playing in a high stakes match, it's tough. But I really didn't have a chance to really think about that game too much. Just kind of stepped up and played a couple sloppy points. Went into a tiebreak and obviously lost it.

Q. Do you feel it was a good performance?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, definitely a great performance. I played every point out there in my head before I would step up to serve, and concentrated throughout the whole match.
You know, I was pretty happy with the first couple sets of tennis.

Q. Almost a repeat of three years ago?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, took the first set and then he came back in the second set tiebreak and 6-4 in the third.
We've always played pretty close matches, and, you know, I got to build a lot of confidence from that. Playing good tennis and looking forward to the Olympics in a couple weeks.

Q. Third set just kind of got away from you?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, I was feeling a little under par end of the first set and just could never kind of rebound back from it. Just kind of got caught up in the match, the situation.
My body was kind of freezing up, tightening up a little bit. Could never really fully relax out there. It was tough running around and having trouble breathing out there.

Q. What specifically was wrong?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Just felt some kind of a pain in the middle of my stomach. I've had this a couple times, but I think just nerves maybe got to me.

Q. Were you thinking that if you could just hold onto to the second set that the pain wouldn't be a problem? Did you know it was going to be a problem if it went to three sets?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Yeah, I wasn't too convinced that I was going to do well in the third set if I couldn't squeeze through that second set.
I feel like I -- if I got the second set obviously the match would have been over. But the third set I didn't feel like I had a good chance. Getting broke the first game I felt like the match was kind of over for me then.

Q. Were you feeling the physical effects? I was just looking at your first serve percentage. You started 67, really good, and then the second set and the third kind of dropped down to like 48. Was that because you were feeling anxiety or was that the physical thing?
ROBBY GINEPRI: A little bit of both. You know, against Roger you don't want to hit second serves to him a lot. Started missing a lot first serves. I should have been taking a bit more off and spinning it in.
You know, I don't really know what that say. Just tough match all around.

Q. Did you detect any difference in Roger's game? Seems like people are getting a lot closer in terms of being able to beat hi, aside from Nadal. You guys have played four previous times and you've been close each time. Any difference you can point to?
ROBBY GINEPRI: I mean, you know, he's a unique player. He's always going to be right there in every single game. He puts a lot of pressure on you throughout the whole match and he plays extremely fast out there.
You know, his forehand was a little off today, and that's maybe the biggest difference I think when he's been stepping into the court he used to be a little bit more confident with his forehand and could end points a little bit quicker.
Now he's maybe a little bit hesitant. From all sides he hasn't been doing too bad.

Q. Does he seem more beatable than even three months ago?
ROBBY GINEPRI: I think guys have seen that he's, you know, he's human. In the last four years he's had such a stellar career that it's hard to keep that up. And playing out there point after point, you know, you think maybe you have a little bit more shot.
Maybe he's not, you know, as steady as he used to be. I think guys are feeling that a little bit more now, especially in the past couple weeks. He'll find his way if he doesn't stay at No. 1 this week or two weeks.
You know I think he'll find his way back up to the top. He's a tremendous athlete and great guy all around.

Q. Obviously a tough loss. Right now it will be tough for to you take positives out of it. But tomorrow, looking back on this you, you can take a little more positive than negative seeing as how you were serving for the match?
ROBBY GINEPRI: Definitely. I feel positive already about the match. Kind of laid down ten minutes after, and I feel like remarkably like 100% better than I did on the court.
So it's a little frustrating that I couldn't relax out there enough to play a third set and give him a run for his money.
But I'll be back. It's a tough loss, but I'll probably watch the tape and assess some things and head off to Beijing.

Q. You talked about this a little bit yesterday how you're having more fun on the court even during practice. Was it not fun? Was it you were just pushing yourself to just get out there and practice, forcing yourself to do it?
ROBBY GINEPRI: I realized that if I want to get to the top I have to spend a little bit more time on the court. There are certain shots I need to get a little bit better. Couple short balls today where he would kind of just chip the ball back. That's one of the shots I've been working on, step up into the court and a little more belief coming into the net.
And slice, I need to get that a little bit better and spend a little bit more time on the court.

Q. Was that not what happened last year, just not enough time on court?
ROBBY GINEPRI: I think it was the way I managed my time on the court. It wasn't that I didn't spend enough time, it was my practices were -- be out there for a couple hours, but I would have only about a good hour the practice. Now I'm having a good hour and 45 minutes of quality.

End of FastScripts

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