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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2009

Jesse Levine

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. WAWRINKA/J. Levine
5-7, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3

Q. First of all, obviously it's been a great tournament for you so far, but looking back at today's match, how would you sum it up in terms of your performance?
JESSE LEVINE: Well, I definitely came out a little slow and ended up picking things back up when he served for the first set. Had played a really good game and kind of started rolling from there, won the first set, went up a break in the second, and he played a great game to break me.
I really didn't feel like I did too many things wrong in that game. He came up with the goods. And then played a good game again to break me, and then from then on, he was definitely a competent player. He's very tough to get a groove on because he hits the ball so big.
I was just trying to come when in when I could, and when I could get in I felt like I was winning a good percentage of the points. But it was a touch match today. He's a good player, so wish him good luck in the next round.

Q. Do you have any complaints about the results overall?
JESSE LEVINE: No, not at all. I'm happy. Obviously it would have been nice to get through and keep it going a little bit, but I'm happy, and I'm ready to go home and see the family. It's been a while.

Q. Obviously it has been a great tournament for you. How would you sum up the tournament?
JESSE LEVINE: Well, Wimbledon is a special tournament, so obviously for me it was my first time through to a third round of any Grand Slam event, so it's a special tournament for me, and I'll be back here next year, hopefully without going through qualifying.

Q. It's been a long trip for you so far.
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah.

Q. Do you like playing on grass as a surface?
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah, definitely, I like it.

Q. Even though the season is so short, two weeks here, maybe a week beforehand, so it's hard to kind of acclimatize?
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah, a lot of players don't like the grass. I mean, I don't mind it. I think I have pretty good results on the grass, so I enjoy playing the grass. I'll definitely take advantage of the grass court tournaments if there's some more out there.

Q. Can I ask you about Wimbledon itself? Do you enjoy the tournament, the tradition, the fans?
JESSE LEVINE: Definitely. It's a special place, especially when it's your first time here last year. So walking in, you see everything, and it's kind of overwhelming because you see it on TV.
But now I'm kind of in the swing of things. My coach, it was actually his first time here, so it was pretty cool to show it to him, and he was in awe of everything. It's just so prestigious here. It was a pretty cool experience for him.

Q. Can I ask, you were born in Canada and moved to the U.S. when you were, I think, 13?
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah.

Q. What was the difference? Was the system not good enough in Canada? Was it better in America?
JESSE LEVINE: I didn't move for my tennis at all. It was an overall family move. My younger brother suffers from ulcerative colitis, and moving to the States, south in Florida, is much better for his health. My dad had a really good job opportunity, and we kind of moved all as a family.
So I was born in Canada, yes, but I play under the American flag 100 percent. USTA has taken me since the day I moved, and obviously been having some really good results, and they're behind me and backing me, helping me out with coaches and everything, and I can't ask for more.

Q. Would you say there's a really good system in place because people would say Andy Roddick and James Blake and there's not a lot else, but you're obviously one of sort of the new generation. Do you think the system that's in place is a very good system?
JESSE LEVINE: I think definitely they've changed things up. Jose Higueras and Pat McEnroe have taken over, and they're doing an unbelievable job, and Jay Berger, as well. Those three, you put their heads together, I don't see too many more coaches than those three, doing a better job than them. I definitely think they have a really good system in place, and I'm happy to be a part of it.

Q. I read you're accompanied by a U.S. marine sergeant. Can you tell me a little bit about that?
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah, his name is Sergeant Major Keith Williams, a former U.S. marine. He's been with me for the past nine weeks. Just an amazing person, means a lot to me, and he's just helped me tremendously physically, mentally, and everything. He's just been a great supporter to me, and hopefully I'll continue this run and he'll keep staying by my side.

Q. What's been the secret, sort of you working with him? All of a sudden you've done incredibly well here. What has he been telling you, trying to motivate you, that's been different than guys before you?
JESSE LEVINE: Nothing really special, just I'm being a lot more organized on and off the court, doing all things the right way on and off the court. Instead of just waiting until I get on the court, just preparation and everything. It all comes down to that, and he's done a really great job of that.

Q. He's employed by the USTA?
JESSE LEVINE: The USTA uses him, as well, for some of the junior players, but I hired him and Scoville Jenkins. We're kind of a team, Scoville Jenkins, Sergeant Major and myself, we travel as a trio, and unfortunately Scoville lost in the qualifying and had to bail out on us, but the three of us have traveled for the last little while, and it's been a really good thing.

Q. Did you also say you're going to be doing a course with him?
JESSE LEVINE: Possibly. I might be going out to San Diego and doing some training with the actual Marines in San Diego.

Q. Do you know when that would be?
JESSE LEVINE: No idea.

Q. What is your goal for the rest of the year for your career? Where would you like to see yourself?
JESSE LEVINE: Short-term I definitely want to get my ranking up so I can be in the US Open straight in without a wild card. That's definitely top priority. That's really what I'm focusing on right now, and taking one step at a time.

Q. Would you consider that this Wimbledon, this is the best achievement of your career so far?
JESSE LEVINE: Yeah, I would definitely say that. Obviously the first round match with Safin was definitely the biggest win of my career. And then going on and winning my second round and getting to the third round of a Slam, yeah, I would definitely say this is one of the biggest results of my career so far.

Q. I know you also were at Bollettieri. What is the main thing that they teach you there in terms of tennis and competing?
JESSE LEVINE: I think the greatest thing about Bollettieri's is that they have so many, so many good players there, and it's just the competition is just so extreme. You're around that level constantly. So being around that level constantly really teaches you how to compete under all circumstances, day in and day out. It's a really great place.

Q. But you don't grunt like the other girls?
JESSE LEVINE: No, some of them grunt a little loud. I've been spending more time in Boca, though, with the USTA of lately, but I still go back once in a while.

Q. Do you still speak to him?
JESSE LEVINE: Definitely.

Q. What did he tell you after Safin?
JESSE LEVINE: After my match with Safin, he definitely came up and was like, "Oh, that's my boy, that's my boy."
Nick is a great guy. I've gone golfing with him a couple times. He's got the putting game down. He's definitely an excellent putter.

End of FastScripts

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