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ROGERS CUP

August 15, 2009

Juan Martin Del Potro

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

J. DEL POTRO/A. Roddick
4-6, 6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I think it's your first Masters 1000 final?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah.

Q. Just tell us how you feel now that you've got through to probably the biggest final of your career.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, will be my important final tomorrow, and I'm very happy. To beat Andy one more time in two weeks, it's very tough for everyone, and I did.
So tomorrow I have my chance to win another tournament. I hope to do my best and try to win.

Q. What was the key for you for that win today?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, the serve was the key until the final. We weren't serving very good, and I take my chance in the 5-All. He miss a serve. He did a double fault, and then in the last game I did a good point with rallies, and the last point was an ace and was very, very close match, anyway.

Q. In recent times you've really -- you just talked about your serve. You've improved your serve and your mental game. What do you think are the reasons for that, causes for that?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I just was thinking about -- I don't look to the other side. I just play my game, and I always keep fighting.
If I win, better. If I lose, anyway, you just fighting until the final, and that's what I do today and the other matches, also.

Q. What's your feeling about facing Murray who has also played very well this week?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, he's playing much better than anyone and will be good for me. I like to play with players better than me, and I think he has the pressure for tomorrow, but I will try to do my best in my first final, and I want to enjoy it.

Q. Do you think it's going to be an interesting match for fans? Because you're a big server and he's probably the best returner in the game.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah. Yes. I hope so. The fans -- I like when the people enjoy the match or the crowd. Hopefully the stand will be full. Andy and me, we want to do a very good show. So I hope to win, but it will be very tough.

Q. Murray got to the No. 2 position today. What do you think you need to do -- you're No. 5 right now, No. 5, 6. What do you think you need to do to get to that spot yourself?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Keep working. Sometimes the tennis is strange, because Rafa, he won everything since Australia until his knee issues, but now he will be the No. 3 in the world. So maybe if you win some good tournaments you keep No. 6 or No. 7, and then you move to another position.
But the key is work hard and try to be better every day.

Q. Do you remember when you played here two years ago against Dancevic in the first round? Then you see -- you can see all the progress that you made since that time?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, I progress a lot. But sometime it's good to think the past, and you look -- I was playing a session then because I played a Canadian, and maybe now I play session now because I'm top 10. You feel a difference.
But it's the tennis, I dream every day with these moments, so I enjoy it a lot.

Q. Would you say at this point in your career hardcourts are your favorite surface, or do you still prefer clay?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, yes. I like this surface better than...

Q. Why is that? Why do you like it better?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Because my game is better in this surface. I can play with my serve, with my forehand. I don't like to run too much, and I don't like the low points. So I prefer hardcourt.

Q. What surface did you grow up on in Argentina? Was it clay?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Clay, yeah.

Q. You did not like it or you liked it?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yes, I learned tennis in clay courts. I can play them, but I prefer hard.

Q. How is your shoulder?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Good. Thanks.

Q. Can you just wrap it up in Spanish, please?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: About today?

Q. Yeah.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: (In Spanish.)

Q. You said you grew up on clay, but did you also play some hardcourts or you played no hardcourt?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: No, I always -- when I come to US tournament or indoors I played hardcourts, but I always train in clay courts.

Q. When was the first time that you played hardcourt? What age were you?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: 11, 12.

Q. So before that, always clay?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah.

End of FastScripts

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