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TENNIS MASTERS CUP

November 10, 2008

Roger Federer

SHANGHAI, CHINA

G. SIMON/R. Federer
4-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How much was your back a problem today?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, actually no pain. I was happy the way it held up. You know, I was sort of skeptical going into the match because the practice sessions haven't been hard at all. I really tried to not push it at all. So I was actually happy that the back felt okay.

Q. Can you talk about, is there something he does in those two matches that you played that particularly bothers you, how it happens?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, I mean, the better you play, the better he plays, you know. And he's quite a unique player and he makes you work hard and runs very well. Yeah, he's unusual to play against.

Q. You're up a set and a break and everything seems okay. What happens at that moment? Do you feel you let a little bit down, the pressure?
ROGER FEDERER: Geez, I don't know. I don't remember the break I got particularly well. Definitely today shots maybe I miss I normally don't miss. I think that's just lack of practice and just uncertainty where my back was today.
All this comes together at the end the day, sometimes against top players it's not enough. Now at least I have a match under my belt, especially three sets, and I hope I can play better in the next match.

Q. You were in this situation last year, weren't you, too, losing your first match. You still got plenty to play for. Just your thoughts moving forward?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I'm just going to go match by match. That's the only way to go here anyway. But it's great. It's the only tournament where I really have a chance after losing first rounds. So I'm, again, happy it happened here.

Q. How do you compare today's match with the Toronto one?
ROGER FEDERER: Toronto match? Very similar (smiling). I lost both. Both three sets, and I lost both. Could have won both but lost. So very similar.

Q. How is your back today? Were you troubled by that at all?
ROGER FEDERER: Back was fine.

Q. You had less than 50% first serves and your overhead sometimes you had problems. Was that unconsciously you were thinking a little bit, you were careful with the back?
ROGER FEDERER: Sure, I mean, I had matches in Basel I was serving 15 aces. Here I was serving three aces. Definitely it was a factor today, you know, the serve. Like I said, it was just being caution and then on top of that just not feeling it well. I haven't been basically serving all week, except maybe 50 serves in total, you know, the last nine days.
That's what sometimes happens. The shoulder gets a little rusty and things don't work out the way you want it. I still expect myself to have more serves in. I didn't serve full blast especially from the start. So I don't know if that cost me the match. But I mean, I was still in the position to win. It was a pity I couldn't get to the finish line before him.

Q. As you pointed out, this a unique tournament because you get to come back even if you lost. And last year you were in a similar situation. How difficult is it to put aside this loss and then kind of like be up for the next match?
ROGER FEDERER: I thought it was particularly difficult last year. You know, I was really disappointed after losing against Gonzalez. I thought I was the better player out there. I don't want to say he got lucky on a few backhands. I just really thought it was one of those losses that was just so unnecessary.
But coming into the locker room instead of maybe winning in straight, because I think I lost the second set in a breaker, and I had all the chances, and end up losing like 7-5 in the third. So it was like, What just happened? I couldn't really figure it out.
It was hard for that night. I was really sort of disappointed. On top of that, because I never been in that situation before, so I didn't know how I reacted, except at the Olympic Games when I lost sort of the silver medal match against Tommy Haas in 2000 and then I ended up losing against Di Pasquale as well the next match. I remember I couldn't get up for it basically.
Last year was difficult. I think this year will be more easy because I've already gone through it just a year ago. I think that's going to help me out.
I'm definitely in a more positive mindset today just because my back feels good. I was, like I said, a little worried coming in. So that sort of goes into a positive direction. I hope I can play much better the next match.

Q. I'd like to hear some of your comments on the election of the new president of ATP. There was rumors one of the nominees is Larry Scott, who is the president of the WTA. He has a new plan to reunite the ATP and WTA to be one tour.
ROGER FEDERER: Many people have many ideas at the moment. We'll see what happens in the next week. It's not really the thing I want to talk about right now.

End of FastScripts

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