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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

July 31, 2008

Roger Federer

CINCINNATI, OHIO

I. KARLOVIC/R. Federer
7-6, 4-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You weren't broken in this match. How...
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, it's disappointing losing without getting broken, but it's not the first player it happens to. You know, especially against a guy like Ivo. He served really well, so it was always going to be a hard match.

Q. What do you think the difference was in the match? Seemed to be determined on a couple of points.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, like you said, a couple points here and there really made the difference.
I mean, I don't know where and when they were, but he got the upper hand in the end.

Q. Did you find anything in these last two matches that gives you a positive feeling going ahead?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, I don't know what to take out of this match, you know. There's always going to be a nothing match, these type of matches, you know. I mean, what are you going to do? I just tried to serve well.
Yeah, I mean, there's always danger in tough matches against Ivo. I knew that from the start.

Q. How discouraging is it for you that another Masters Series event goes by without you winning it?
ROGER FEDERER: No problem. It wasn't an Olympic or a US Open, so I can live with that.

Q. Have you already thought about how you're going regroup?
ROGER FEDERER: No, not yet. Too early.

Q. Will you follow the rest of the tournament and see how Rafa does?
ROGER FEDERER: No.

Q. In the tiebreak sets were you attacking his backhand a little bit more? It looked like in the tiebreak he maybe changed his tactics a little bit as opposed to the regular sets.
ROGER FEDERER: He or I changed?

Q. He.
ROGER FEDERER: No, I mean, I guess his backhand is his more safe shot, but it allows you to maneuver him around a little more. His forehand is more dangerous. So always I guess depends how the point sort of starts with start with your own serve.
Yeah, I mean, maybe I got a little bit unlucky on a couple. I don't know. But he definitely served well. Maybe in the last tiebreaker when I had three chances on second serves I wasn't able to get one when I really needed to be on even terms with him.
I guess that cost me the match, which is hard to accept.

Q. To what extent would you hope that Nadal doesn't win this tournament?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't care.

Q. How tough is that serve compared to the other big servers? Do you think the height is a factor?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, sure. His trajectory is unbelievable. He's definitely got the best serve in the game. Don't know about his second serve. I'm surprised he doesn't serve and volley off it because he could.
But his first serve is definitely -- I mean, against nobody do I have to guess on the serve except against Ivo. Especially here with the light in the back. It's very bright and hard to see the ball.
Yeah, I mean, I basically have to guess on every serve and it makes it hard. On top of that he got the unreturnable serves. Sometimes on the ad side and down the T, if he clocks it on the line there's nothing you can do. Makes it extremely difficult.

Q. Were you happy your preparation coming into this week?
ROGER FEDERER: Lack in preparation?

Q. Were you happy with it?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, no, of course not. I wish I could have had more practice, but the schedule this year makes it hard for us players. It's the way it is. It's the same for everybody.
But I think for Rafa and myself it's particularly hard, because we were in the finals of Wimbledon so we didn't get an extra week or two.
Look, he's doing well, and I have done well in the past as well. This year was hard I guess with the start of the year. But nevertheless, I still think it's been a good year.
I just hope I can show it now at the Olympics and the US Open.

Q. At what point do you start losing confidence in yourself and your game? And will that ever happen?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. So far it's okay. You know, I mean, I guess I'll analyze and assess my game after the US Open. For the moment it's just all a blur. I mean, it's so many tournaments in a row, big tournaments in a row, it's hard, you know.
I mean, it's a tough trip we got up in front of us now, going back to China and coming back to the Open. I'm looking forward for the next two tournaments.
Those are really the ones that can make this season from a good one to a great one again. I hope I can manage to pull off something in the next couple weeks.

Q. Last match you mentioned that the courts here are quicker that Toronto. Was that a factor at all? Does it take you that long to adjust from maybe a slower to a faster court?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I have a tendency to think it's easier going from a fast court to a slow court, you know. Then again, in this match I don't think it played a factor. I've played Ivo on clay, on grass, hard court, on indoor. I played him on all surfaces and his serve comes the same speed, you know, so it doesn't help a whole lot.
Actually he get more play action on the slower surfaces, so he has a tendency to be more dangerous in these conditions.
But what are you going to do today if he serves like that? Maybe if I would have gotten the first set I would be sitting here winning 7-6, 6-4. That's not the case, so it's kind of brutal.

End of FastScripts

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