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WESTERN & SOUTHERN FINANCIAL GROUP MASTERS

August 21, 2009

Roger Federer

CINCINNATI, OHIO

R. FEDERER/L. Hewitt
6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It seemed like you were serving very well today. You won 89% of your first serve points and didn't face a breakpoint throughout. Can you elaborate on that?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it didn't actually come to my mind that I didn't have to save any breakpoints. I think that definitely helps against Lleyton, who once he gets his teeth into your serve it can get quite tricky.
From this reason, you know, I'm really pleased the way it went. Conditions were difficult again with the gusty winds this time around, whereas yesterday it was a bit more predictable but stronger. It's a good match to come through.

Q. You've won 13 matches in a row against him now. Obviously probably not lucky each time. What do you attribute your success to? That's a pretty good run.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, it is a great run. Well, obviously I'm surprised myself, because he's a top-quality player. He's beaten me so many time in the past that I didn't expect myself to all of a sudden go on such a great run against him.
But I guess with the power I have in my shots and when I grew stronger, that maybe made a quite a significant difference in our games. And as I was going up, maybe he was coming down just a touch, especially the last few years. But it seems like he's hanging in there.
I never really think going into a match with Lleyton that it's for sure that I will win. That would be foolish.

Q. Do you feel that's your best performance so far since Wimbledon?
ROGER FEDERER: It doesn't really matter to me. You know, I'm happy the way I'm playing. That's key. I still feel there are improvements I can make, and for this reason I hope I can show that tomorrow.

Q. Is there anything about Murray's game that makes it more difficult for you to play him than other people? He's one of the few players or tour that I think has an edge in head-to-head meetings with you.
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, there's for sure things that are, you know, things you might not like in a player's game if he's got a good head-to-head against him.
But it's not like he crushed me every single time we played. For this reason, you know, you can see it the way you want: like maybe you should've closed out a few more; or maybe he should have won it more easy if he wouldn't have had a bad start sometimes to matches.
But we've always had close matches, and good ones actually against each other. So for this reason I'm excited playing against him.
But he doesn't have many weaknesses in his game. I think that's what makes him so tough on all surfaces.

Q. It's been such an eventful summer for you. Has it sunk in yet what you've accomplished in terms of two large career goals that you had in front of you three months ago are not there anymore?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, sure. I mean, it's been an amazing summer in my personal life and also on the tennis court. So I guess it's sometimes still hard to believe I was able to win Paris and Wimbledon back to back after already doing so many things prior to that.
It definitely sort of came at the right time. I think getting back to No. 1 with the Wimbledon win, with the way I was able to do it at the end against Andy, it was amazing. And then sort of being No. 1 in the world and having twin girls, it's something that doesn't happen every day.
It's been quite something, and I've been enjoying it, of course.

Q. How strange or not does it feel to you that you're going into a No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup tomorrow and the other guy isn't Rafa?
ROGER FEDERER: Look, I don't even pay that close attention to the rankings, because I always said that No. 1 is sort of what I'm focused on. If you're not No. 1, well then you're a former Grand Slam champion, you know, in my case and Rafa's case and so forth.
So I never looked at Rafa as, for instance, No. 2 in the world, you know. I always saw him as the great champion he is, you know.
The same might happen with Murray, because Djokovic already has slam, for instance. But I've played No. 2s in the world in the past in semifinals as well. At the Masters Cup, for instance, I've played Rafa twice there.
It just tends to happen here. The draw was already done before he won in Montreal.

Q. Has there been any change to you in terms of the number of years you're gonna play left to play in the game? You have the career Grand Slam, the number of slam wins, you've got the record there. What's left for to you accomplish in the game?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, that's up to me to sort of decide how much more I want to do. For the moment, I'm very eager to play much more and much longer. I don't see anything changing because of the twins, you know. But that definitely, you know, has an impact on my life. So far it's a very positive impact and it's not pulling me away from the game, you know.
So I'm positive about my tennis future.

Q. Does evening up your career record against guys like Murray and Nadal enter into your mind or motivate you at all as you look towards your legacy?
ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I'd love to beat them more than they beat me, but it's not really a priority, to be quite honest.

Q. Is there psychological stress that comes with a tournament like this with five straight days where you don't get a chance to catch your breath, or is it markedly different from a Grand Slam experience?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, it's different just because it's like a blur. You go from one day to the next and you always have the same schedule. It's sort of a touch boring sometimes. You know, you wish you had maybe an off day so you can sort of regroup and focus.
But it's just like you're jumping from one to the next match. You have to try to take it in your stride. So when you're doing really well it's great. If you're not doing well, there can be some tough weeks, you know.
This is where I hope I can, you know, take as many wins as possible as I'm winning.

Q. Do you prefer a day or night match for the semifinals and? And looking ahead, if you were to win, for the what's better for you in terms of rest and all that stuff?
ROGER FEDERER: Doesn't matter. I'm not very particular about when I play and who I play and how I play. All I care about is that I hopefully win the match, you know.
I love playing at night, for instance, in New York in front of sort of the electric crowd and everything. I know I can request a night session every time. If the tournament likes to put me night session, that's great. If they choose otherwise, I am okay with that, too.

Q. So it wouldn't bother you to play a night semifinal tomorrow, and then if you won that, go to the final in the afternoon the next day?
ROGER FEDERER: No. That's why I work really hard, so I don't have to hope that I play during the night.

Q. We see you very relaxed now. Is it because you're where you wanted, and now the pressure is on the other players to complete their goals and dreams?
ROGER FEDERER: Not really. I'm a relaxed person, you know. I think that sort of maybe relaxes you, too. I mean, I hope so. I've always been, you know, that type of person.
People then sometimes make things up that when I wasn't winning all the slams and losing in finals that I wasn't relaxed anymore and too crazy about maybe winning. That's completely untrue.
You can't take the tour sometimes too serious, either. It's a lot work and a lot of traveling, and you need to be relaxed. I think that's what I am, so I have a good balance.

Q. And do you enjoy playing Andy, or is there a different dynamic, a different edge to how you approach the matches with Andy now?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, yeah, I mean, playing against a fellow top player is always a thrill. I think we work really hard in the off-season so we can either play the top guys or we're deep into a tournament. You know, this is the two things we're sort of looking for.
With Andy, you definitely have that type of a matchup. I've played him several occasions now the last few years now. It's not his first year on tour anymore either, so he's become much more experienced. He's won, you know, not only just a handful of tournaments now, but over 10 or almost 15 now.
He's getting up there in the tournament count, and that makes it more exciting to play a player like him, especially him being on the run like he on right now after winning in Montreal. It's definitely a good matchup.

End of FastScripts

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