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INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA (MEN)

May 3, 2009

Novak Djokovic

ROME, ITALY

R. NADAL/N. Djokovic
7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You were very close during that match many times. What made the difference at the end?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, obviously it's his patience in the certain points. When I needed to, maybe stay a little bit more patient and just play the right shots. I made some unforced errors, tiebreak, second, third point.
You know, it happens couple times already on this surface that I'm close, and in the deciding moments he just overcome the pressure better than me.
But, you know, that's why he's the best in the world in this moment. Overall, I'm really happy with the week.

Q. You say you're very happy when you succeeded to hit backhand down the line. Do you feel your backhand down the line could have been a little bit better, more efficient?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I think so. That was one of the shots that didn't really go today as well as I wanted it. He plays forehand with a lot of spin and tries to put the point out of position so he can open up the court for the next shot. He does it really successfully.
But I think I didn't move in that shot as well as I needed to, and then couple of unforced errors in the first and second set resulted with a loss.

Q. Obviously two finals on the clay. You feel you're obviously going okay building up to Roland Garros?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, that's the main goal, the aim that is most important in the clay court season. I've been playing really well in the last three Masters Series events, and I'm really happy with the shape I'm in in this moment.
So I will try to stay physically fit, because that's what I'm gonna need very much in upcoming month and a half or two months until the Wimbledon is over.
So as I said, confidence is really important in this sport, in any sport. Right now I think I have good confidence. Hopefully I can continue with the successful tournament.

Q. You were asked yesterday about the No. 3 ranking and whether or not you cared that if you lost today you would probably lose it. Do you care now that it's fixed?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, look, it happened two weeks before or after, you know. It's very close. I'm defending a lot of points, so it's no -- it's not strange that it happened. He was playing really well lately. But it's still close. I can already get it back next week. It's really up and down.

Q. Even though you don't even win a set today, do you feel closer today than in Monte-Carlo, or you were closer in Monte-Carlo?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Maybe in Monte-Carlo it was closer. Still, the ball was bouncing really high here today. Really high. I don't know, it was probably because, again, I was playing against the player who produces a lot of spin from both of the sides. Maybe that was the case.
But still, I felt that the balls were really, really high. Made my shots difficult, especially from the backhand side.

Q. The wind also?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, it was quite windy. I did have chances. I could have maybe won the first set and maybe things would look different, but, you know, we keep on going.

Q. Is there a sense that he almost makes you try too hard and perhaps try shots that you wouldn't necessarily try against somebody else?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, in the certain moments, yes. I mean, as the match started I thought, I'm gonna really work hard to get my service games, you know, because he made me work already the first game.
He didn't make a lot of service errors. You know, he had a quite high percentage of the first serves in. That wasn't case in Monte-Carlo, so I could have more pressure on him. So he was serving quite well and moving always great, like always.
Yeah, you always have to play something extra against Nadal to win, especially on this surface where he feels most comfortable.

Q. There is a new ATP tournament in Belgrade starting tomorrow. How important is that for you?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It's very important obviously. As a host of the tournament as well, I feel really happy to -- for my family, for myself, and for all the players from Serbia and all the country to have the tournament first time in the history of our country. Everybody is excited. I look forward to it.
I bye first round, so I have a little more time to recover and get ready. I will try to do my best there.

Q. Nadal never asked for a wildcard, but he could still play?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: We refused him because we had some priorities.

End of FastScripts

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