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January 17, 2009

David Nalbandian

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES

D. NALBANDIAN/J. NIEMINEN
6-3, 6-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about what this does for your confidence heading into the Australian Open?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, it's very good. I mean, winning a tournament before is almost perfect to arrive.
So very happy for the week that I had here. I think I play good tennis with the best tennis of the world, and from the very beginning of the week I start play good.
Today it was a tough match. I feel that I played very good sometimes and sometimes not that good. But it was a very positive week, and I feel that I'm going to arrive to Melbourne with a lot of confidence. So that's good.

Q. Is it helpful in some ways to have had a tough match? Was it a good thing maybe that you were forced to fight?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Yeah, you always have the good things and the bad ones. It's much better if you win 6-3, 6-4, for sure, but then I get a little out of my mind on the game, and that's maybe making troubles on the second set.
Tiebreak was very long. I was a little unlucky some points. But that's the way it is. Then I started playing very good again, and then third set I was in control. It was a good match. A good win.
Being ready for next one for next week, it's very good.

Q. You've been very consistent at the Grand Slams. Everyone's waiting for you to actually breakthrough and win a Slam. Is there any reason you can put your finger on why you haven't managed to win a Slam yet?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Can you do it? It's not easy.

Q. I know.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: It's tough. I was close a few times, or a lot of times, and I never couldn't made it. It's not easy to be physically, mentally, and with confidence to win a Grand Slam.
There are two weeks playing with a lot of good players. Always I try. I keep going and keep trying. Why I didn't win it, I don't know. Maybe unlucky some ones and maybe the other ones they playing better, the other player is playing better than me.
The game is like this. I'm keeping fighting, so I don't know if it's going to be this one or next one, but I always arrive to a Grand Slam with a lot of confidence or believing that I can win it.
So this one is going to be one of them, and I want to try.

Q. Are you close to your best, or do you think you have to improve a little or a lot to win the Australian Open?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, you always have to improve. For example, today I have to finish in the 5-4 serving on the second set. Maybe that things have to improve to keep going in a Slam.
If I lose that set I have to play two more, so get longer. You don't want that in the first few rounds. So I have to improve on that.

Q. I would like to know were you at any moment thinking that you may lose to Mr. Nieminen?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, you never know. On the tennis you never know. When I lose the second set with a lot of chance that I had, maybe gets more complicate. But I was breakpoint down in the 1-All I think in the third set, and I made a good serve and then win that game.
After that, it was everything was for my side. If he breaks me in that game, maybe it was a little complicated. But I feel that I get control on the third set, too. It was not much trouble on the third set.

Q. Were you surprised that he played so well?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, he's a good player. I always, when I play him, I expect a tough match. We know each other from a long time ago, from juniors, so we know each other. Always we play it's very tight.

Q. That second set, the tiebreaker, you probably lost it more than he won it? Is that a fair point? He seems very nervous.
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, tiebreak is tough. I challenge one slice down the line and touch it by nothing. There are things that happen on the match. I never had a chance to go up in the score, so he always was set point. I never could have the match point on that moment.
I played -- some points I played good and some points he miss an easy shot or not that easy. But tiebreak is always difficult.

Q. The timing of the Australian Open would seem to favor players who do a lot of fitness work over the Christmas period. Were you training hard, or did you manage to get any time off this year?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: Well, I have the time off. Like every year after Davis Cup final I get few days off and then start practicing and go to the fitness and everything like every year.
Maybe this year was a little difficult with Christmas in the middle of the week, so it was a little different. But I think that's for everybody. That's good. That's part of the work.

Q. What are your expectations for the rest of the year after this tournament?
DAVID NALBANDIAN: No, still having the same goals: The Grand Slam and Davis Cup. So nothing change.

End of FastScripts

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