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SHANGHAI ATP MASTERS 1000

October 17, 2009

Nikolay Davydenko

SHANGHAI, CHINA

N. DAVYDENKO/N. Djokovic
4-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (In Chinese.) Today's match, do you think this is a very hard competition? Are you feeling any pressures from the serve of Djokovic?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Last few words?

Q. (In Chinese.) Are you feeling some pressure from the serve from your opponent?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: If you see match was today, was like long and heavy. Three hours is, because maybe it's pretty slow here. I was play mostly every match 2:00, and this was different situation, was not -- it's was day. This was not darkness, and balls was flying a little bit faster.
I have like chance play faster, and that's was maybe game was faster. Today now against Djokovic was, serve from Djokovic always good, but not at this time, not today, because we have many rallies, doesn't serving, me and him. We just play baseline, forehand/backhand. That was all three hours match was.

Q. It was quite a match to come through. You seemed to have a lot more in the tiebreaker than he did. Could you talk about the tiebreaker a little bit?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: In tiebreak, it's different situation. It's like last tiebreak you concentration, how you can in just -- I don't know. For me, it's like every point, you know, I fighting for every point, I running for every point, and I didn't care.
Just want win, you know, this point. And that's was maybe I was, you know, trying in beginning. It's also important if you win few points in beginning tiebreak, you have more confidence, and then you can play better and better. You can maybe finishing, winning, you know, this tiebreak.

Q. He owned you on this court before. He won the two matches last year. Is it a little bit of a revenge today?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: A little bit.

Q. A lot?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, just a little bit. (laughter.)
No, it's like this is different between final Masters Cup and now semifinal, different tournament. Okay, same city, but, you know, for me, it's like if, you know, if I make better result, I have chance coming to London, you know, I have more points.
But he need to defend, you know, like, say in top three players in the world, and if he play winning here tournament, he have more chance coming to No. 2.
Um, today was -- I don't know. In beginning he have play a little bit better, a little bit faster. But then starting the same game. We play both the same, everything the same. Was 50/50. I really -- a little bit I have pressure of my serve. He have so many times breaking, and in the second set and for sure he can maybe finishing in the two sets, but, you know, he play also many lucky points.
I have also many chance winning breakpoints and he play well. This was all match really difficult. I was lucky; he was lucky. In tiebreak, I was more lucky.

Q. Can you talk about Rafa or Feliciano? And also you have a good record in finals this year. You've won all the three you were in.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I don't know. You know, against Rafa it's -- doesn't matter. It's last match, final. I think it's doesn't matter against who I play in the final.
Rafa, it's, you know, I have good feeling, you know. He's fighting every match three sets. That's was surprising here, find game and losing first set and then winning, try to come back and winning match.
That's I think it is now him this week, very good fighter, and coming, you know, have maybe also a little bit confidence this one. I don't know how he feel tennis. I don't know how he feel, very good or not good. I didn't see how many matches now.
But he play last week in Beijing, okay, was he didn't make good result, but, you know, he's every week try to fight, have the same game. And I don't know. He can be in the final very good and maybe can be not so good. We'll see what happen tomorrow.

Q. You've been very relaxed this week, I think, so far. But now you're in the final. Does the pressure go on? And how do you prepare for a final compared to semis and quarterfinals?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Um, first it's like last match, last day in Shanghai. Then, you know, it's already I thinking I need to come to Russia, I have another tournament, I have already every week tournament, but, you know, happy, no? Always make good result. Already in final to be here in Masters Series.
It's end of the year. It's like feeling maybe and I'm for sure finishing in top 10 this years. I know behind me many games, you know, Tsonga, like GonzÃ¡lez, you know, we have the same points, we have the same ranking, you know. And who make it these last two, three tournaments good results, you can have better ranking. You can be No. 8 or 9 or 10.
For me it's was good coming here to the final, have some points and try, you know, finishing in top 10. Don't think about London, not yet, but really, you know, fifth time in a row finishing top 10, it's, for me, it's I think important.

Q. Just going back again to what my colleague spoke about earlier, he beat you twice here last year. What was the difference today? Were you better or was he worse?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah, come on. Match was three hours and decide tiebreak. Who was better? I don't know. He was better, but I won. I can say also like this.
Maybe he was better because he won Beijing last week, have more confidence. He play good. But I was thinking he was tired from yesterday, also, match. That's was today a long match for him was also not so good, and I think he is also losing so much power and he cannot play 100% already in the third set. He also make many mistake and also losing concentration. For sure he's tired.

Q. You have won a lot of fans in Shanghai this year. Do you feel it surprising or happy?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: If I have so many fans in Shanghai?

Q. Yeah, haven't you noticed?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Maybe I'm scared, have Chinese, no offense here, win in Shanghai.
No, it's like -- it's always, you know, if you make somewhere good result you winning tournament, you have some fans, is for sure. For sure I have some fans I won Miami two years ago, you know, I have some fans, but I don't think so American but some South American, so many South Americans there.
I have so many fans in Moscow. (laughter.) I won three times. It's like, you know, where is I make good result I have some fans. It's like this always.

Q. Today I noticed that your wife is watching your game beside the court. When you play this tough game, do you have some eye contact with her, or do you feel support from her?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Eye contact? I have always contact with her. (laughter.)
Yes. Mostly every game, and she try to help me. She try to support me. She try to tell me something, you know, to motivate in the game, to be concentration.
This is good. It's help me very much, because I need to find somebody who can help me about this one, and it's -- I have no coach this week, but my wife, you know, this is support. It's very important in the match.
Doesn't matter how's match going on. If I losing, you know, it's always supporting I have. That's was -- I think it's important for everyone, for every player, because it's difficult to play alone and don't look to anyone and just -- then I think you start to be crazy, you know, because to be always alone is not so good.

Q. Andre Agassi --
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Who's he? He already not in tennis. I don't know this guy.

Q. He said Federer and Nadal's era will be over soon and Murray and Djokovic and Del Potro will be the one to lead. What do you think about that?
THE MODERATOR: I guess he said Federer and Nadal's era is going to be over soon, that Djokovic and Del Potro and Murray are going to take over, basically, the tour. So that was his statement. What do you think?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Um, I really -- doesn't matter what Agassi say, for me. I really don't care.
Just say yes, it's true if you see how points, how we did result this year, Federer, Nadal, Del Potro, you know, Murray, Djokovic, Roddick. You know, it's not only -- you need to see all year's results, you know.
You know, some guys, mostly all these top five, top six guys always be in the quarters, in the semis and the final probably every tournaments where they played. That's was with these guys, they have the same points. Okay, if only one guy can winning like Federer winning Grand Slams step by step, he have more points. He No. 1.
But if you see Federer 1, yeah, he was lucky, Nadal losing in Roland Garros and he won Paris, yeah? Federer. And after Wimbledon, that's was he still No. 1, but Del Potro won US Open.
It's, I think -- yeah, it's like top six guys now, it's have the same level and play very well. Just I think for the next season, for the next year, I don't think it can be one guy who win everything and coming to No. 1 and to already in beginning. It's be difficult, yeah?
Federer is 28, 29 years old next year. He have two kids, family, you know. Now enjoy more another step like Hewitt. (laughter.)
I hope so. Because it's too much, you know, to be No. 1 for Federer.
But, yes, like, say, young guy like Murray have the same age, and Nadal and Djokovic and Del Potro, you know, is the same age and player think still top four or five years can still be good for all these guys.

Q. Is that because you're not so good looking and keep looking outside the court which makes you put more focus on your tennis? And given a chance, would you like to be more good looking or keep your life going like this?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Um, you know, if I be -- if I don't have wife, you know, maybe I can say, Yeah, I disappoint I'm not maybe good looking, yeah, but really I have many girls can be in Russia. I don't know about China, but in Russia, it's -- I still look good, like feeling comfortable, you know. (laughter.)
I mean, it's okay. I really not think about this, yeah?

End of FastScripts

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