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WIMBLEDON

July 3, 2009

Tommy Haas

LONDON, ENGLAND

R. FEDERER/T. Haas
7-6, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, everybody. Tommy Haas. Questions.

Q. How will you sum up the totality of your game today?
TOMMY HAAS: How would I sum up what?

Q. Your game today.
TOMMY HAAS: You know, overall pretty happy with the way I played overall. I served extremely well. So did my opponent today. You know, I only got broken there at 5-6 in the second set for the first time after having a long, long game back and forth. I think maybe I was trying to go for a little bit too much then and not following up, being aggressive, coming into the net.
You know, he took the first chance. The same thing happened in the third when he broke me at 3-4, you know, a long game with chances, game points for me.
Overall I'm pretty happy with the way I played. Just sometimes on these little tiny points that could have made a little difference, maybe just came up short, making too easy unforced error for my liking. But overall pretty happy.

Q. How would you compare it with the one with Djokovic?
TOMMY HAAS: You can't compare because it's different players. He gives you different balls to look at with the slice. I think he served really well today, too. I don't know what his first-serve percentage was today. I think it was pretty high. He didn't really give me that may look on second serves to really be aggressive on.
At the time I did and I was aggressive and I came in on a good return, he made really good passes. That was kind of tough. You know, that's the way it goes playing against him.

Q. Did you detect any weak links at all in his game today?
TOMMY HAAS: There aren't really any weaknesses. You know, I think he moves such smooth ways and has such good defensive play. The slice bites a lot. You know, when you think sometimes you might get a relatively easy volley, he kind of either dinks it in front of you, or he made two spectacular slice lobs over my head at important points.
But, you know, there aren't really any weaknesses. I think sometimes maybe if he feels a little bit pressure or gets a little bit tight, maybe sometimes he can make some unforced errors, especially against those types of players that move really well themselves and keep the ball in play mostly than being very aggressive, such like maybe Andy Murray or, you know, Nadal or something. I think that's why he struggles against those guys every once in a while.
But, you know, I'm myself not that type of player. I have to go for my shots myself and be aggressive. So you just try to do your best with that.

Q. Would you hold out any hope for Roddick or Murray in the final?
TOMMY HAAS: I was just asked that. You know, I think Andy Roddick is playing some of his best tennis, as well, that I've seen. Playing extremely well. Serving well. But I wouldn't give him really a chance to beat Roger in the final. Maybe take a set. That's my opinion.
Andy Murray, if he can play extremely well I think would give him more trouble because of the style he plays and also knowing that he has beaten him, you know, a lot of times in the past.
But in the US Open final was a different situation. Plus with the crowd and everything, maybe that can get to Roger a little bit and be a little bit tighter. But I'll be watching it. You know, be really an interesting final if Andy Murray should win.

Q. More trouble, but not beat him in the end?
TOMMY HAAS: I don't think so, but you never know. That's the beauty of the game.

Q. Can you compare your last match at Roland Garros with Federer and this one? What were the differences?
TOMMY HAAS: I think that he made a few more unforced errors, and on clay I could be a little bit more patient, play a little better defense than today. That's probably the only difference really. And maybe the chances that I got, that I used them.
Today, like I said, I didn't really have many chances from the scoring point of view. But a lot of times when I had Love-15 on his serve, he didn't really -- he put me under pressure. But I had a chance to make the shots and I never did, so that's a little bit frustrating.

Q. Seems like when he hit the big forehand, inside-out forehand, he was reborn. After that he was playing again unbelievable tennis.
TOMMY HAAS: That's sometimes all it takes, you know, one important game. You know, that gives you the confidence. He did play extremely well then the end of the third set there. You know, took it from there.

Q. Did you go into the game thinking he just might beat me, or you went there with so much confidence that you will do your best? How did you approach it?
TOMMY HAAS: I approached it with a lot of confidence. You know, I've been playing some of my best tennis, you know. Having played him really tough in the French Open, having won in Halle, having beaten a lot of good players here to get to the semifinals, I felt like, you know, if I can get my chance and if I can use it, I can maybe do it, you know.
I served well, like I said, and I think he served extremely well. He just comes up with the goods, you know. He can play defensive and turn it into offensive so quick like no other player, and that makes him so extremely tough.
For him being on this occasion so many times, I feel like he just has the edge over everybody of just how he feels and how he has to play and what he has to do without thinking about it too much. And I think in the situation, sometimes like me today, sometimes I think maybe a little bit too much about what I want to do, and that can be the mistake sometimes.

Q. What would your advice be to whoever plays him in the final?
TOMMY HAAS: What would my advice be? I won't be giving them any advice because I'll be heading home tonight.

Q. If you could give them one tip.
TOMMY HAAS: They know their game. We watch everything in the past, years ago. They know what to do. They have coaches they pay a lot of money for.

Q. You won Halle and had a terrific run here. If Andy Murray comes through, how important do you think Queen's is to him?
TOMMY HAAS: Queen's and Halle mean nothing anymore. This is Wimbledon. This is a bigger stage. I don't think he's going to think about Queen's if he beats Andy Roddick today if he plays Roger in the final.

Q. Would you like to come back to Wimbledon?
TOMMY HAAS: Will I come back? Of course.

Q. Can you sum up your whole Wimbledon experience. It's been a special one for you.
TOMMY HAAS: It was great. I couldn't be any happier.

End of FastScripts

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