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BNP PARIBAS OPEN

March 19, 2009

Fernando Verdasco

INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA

R. FEDERER/F. Verdasco
6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It didn't seem like you both played your best game at the same time. Seemed like one player would play very well and then fall back; then the other one would start playing well. Was that the same way it seemed to you?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: For me, you know, for my opinion, the match, it was a little bit irregular in either both, like you are saying, for both players. I think either, we didn't play our best tennis in any moment of the match.
I was, of course, few moments feeling better than in other ones. But in general, I didn't feel so good tonight, no? I don't think that he also played his best tennis. I think he served well. The serve today was a big key for him.
But also, in the beginning, he start making good shots with the forehand. But then also, in the second set, he didn't hit that much more than in the first set.
So I think that also me, in the first set, not so much and in the second set I started to hit a little more winners with the forehand and feel a little bit better.
But I think either both, we didn't feel our best tonight.

Q. So did you have the sense that in the second set, when his level started to go down, that this was just Federer losing concentration or did you think that you were putting more pressure on him?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No, I think that I was playing a little bit better. I think that of course a little bit more pressure than in the beginning because I was playing better the second set than the first.
But I don't think that he just lose concentration, no. I just think that I play a little bit better. I play deeper to the backhand, and he started to make more mistakes.

Q. Was that something you tried to do, to loop the ball to his backhand more?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: No. I was just trying to take my forehand all the time. But with him it's tough also, because, you know, if you don't take the forehand, he play deep. He play all the time, you know, inside the court. He didn't give you so much time, you know, to take forehand all the time the easy volley point.
Anyway, like I just say, I didn't feel so good today. The few times that I just had the chance to take it, I didn't take that chances, no?
When I was taking the forehand to move, I was taking the forehand sometimes and I was missing the first shot. So this is helping to break me in the first set, and also to break me back in the second set when I was serving for the set.

Q. From tournament to tournament, you're always in the limelight, the headlines. When you want to get away from it all and just get away, aside from your home, not your home, where do you like to go? What's your favorite place?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: You know, I like to go in the States, no? I go always when I can to Miami. It's a city that I like so much.
And also now in Las Vegas. You know, I'm enjoying so much my time there with Gil and with Andre and all these guys there.
You know, I think that they're right now my two favorites cities after Madrid.

Q. Vegas and Miami, two fun-loving places; would you agree?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: Yeah, you can have a lot of fun in both cities, but in Las Vegas I didn't go out in one month. I was just practicing so hard. Every night I was so tired to go out.
And Miami, when I went out last time was three days in November for holidays. I went out one day because I was all day going around with friends with the boat and having fun with all my friends.
I'm also a person that doesn't -- I don't like so much to go at night, no? I prefer days than nights. It's true that both cities are so fun and so good with nightlife.

Q. Are you satisfied with this tournament overall?
FERNANDO VERDASCO: You know, of course I want more, you know, than quarterfinals. But I also need to see that I was coming from injured, and it was also one tournament just to check and see how I feel after all these months without playing any match.
I prefer of course quarters than -- I think it can be worse than quarterfinals, no? So of course I want more, but I cannot be sad or mad with this result, no?

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