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VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

October 30, 2009

Ross Fisher

CASARES, SPAIN

GORDON SIMPSON: Your thoughts on pulling through to the semifinals, in a tournament that must mean a lot to you having grown up watching every year.
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, very good. Obviously growing up, being a member there for so many years, it would have been great to experience The World Match Play there, but unfortunately it's not there. But Finca Cortesin is a great venue and the course is in great condition.
It's very mentally and physically tiring, but you know, I feel like I've got around it so far so good. So there's still a long way to go, but I'm in there with a chance.
GORDON SIMPSON: Still a huge title, isn't it.
ROSS FISHER: It's a very big title. Like Monty said, anything with "world" in it, you know you've beaten the best players in the world. A win would be great, but I've got a long way to go. I have 36 holes against the U.S. Masters Champion, a very tough, gritty competitor. So I need to be on form tomorrow if I'm going to make it one more day.

Q. Off for physio because you need it or just regular?
ROSS FISHER: It's just regular, yeah. So get out of here, go for an hour's rubdown with Jesper who is here this week, and try to get the muscles nice and loose for this evening and grab some dinner and get an early night and think about tomorrow when I wake up.

Q. Semi at Accenture, semi here; do you think it makes any difference to Monty, Ryder Cup?
ROSS FISHER: Hopefully it's not going to be a bad thing, yeah. Like I say, the Accenture was a great experience, my first time there. So to get to the semis was great. I walked away from there disappointed because I felt like I had a really good chance playing Paul. Maybe just fatigue set in a little bit and unfortunately he just pipped me.
But obviously it's great to be here at The World Match Play, my first experience, and I'm in the semifinals. So far, so good, but there's a long way to go. And you know, I know Monty is here watching, so hopefully I'll be in his thoughts a little bit more so.

Q. If you can just talk us through some of the group matches, what you've learned from them so far, qualifying for the semifinal?
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, just being very, very difficult. I've never played with him (Camilo Villegas) before and that was a first for me. Very, very tough. I was always pretty much up and in control. He had a bit of an off day and to win 2-up was very, very pleasing.
Obviously this morning to play Westy, it was going to be a very tight game because he is in great form. I missed a couple of crucial putts at the important times. 13, I had a chance to win the hole to get it back to square, and then he birdied 14 and I missed a short putt on 14. So I went 2-down and managed to pip one back and unfortunately got a flyer on 16, which kind of cost me a good chance.
But, hey, I've gotten over that, and I went out this afternoon and played some pretty good golf and to get a win over Jeev is obviously very, very satisfying.
GORDON SIMPSON: Did you have to keep yourself aware of everything that was happening in the other match?
ROSS FISHER: I think to start off with, I was just focusing on what I was trying to do; and you're looking at leaderboards and to be fair, I was a bit surprised that Camilo got to 4-up. I mean, Lee played so solid this morning, I thought that was going to be probably him. He obviously played very, very good to start off the match.
But obviously for me, it was -- my job was to try to beat Jeev, and I was doing that and unfortunately looked at the board and saw that their game was getting a lot tighter. I knew if I could stay up and pip Jeev, I could get through to the semis and fortunately managed to do it.

Q. Is this year's Race to Dubai still an ambition for you?
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, definitely, it's a huge thing. It's a massive thing. Obviously I'm a fair bit behind. The guy as head of me, obviously Westy, Martin, Rory, those guys. So obviously it's great for me that I've got into the semis. Lee is not, Martin's not, not sure if Rory is.
GORDON SIMPSON: Rory's gone off.
ROSS FISHER: And neither did Ollie. So hopefully if I can perform well, you know, a win is not out of the question, but I'm going to have to play 72 holes of flawless golf to put myself there.

Q. Are you surprised you are where you are in The Race to Dubai considering the year that you've had in terms of the majors; you're the only European here in the semis, you were the best in all four majors as regards to aggregate score, great chance in the U.S. Open and great chance in The Open. All that's missing is a win; is that the problem?
ROSS FISHER: Yeah, I suppose in some ways I'm almost a little bit surprised that I'm not further up, because I have been, like you say, very consistent in the majors.
Like you say, it's disappointing not having won yet, but I've had a lot of good chances, and like you just referred to there, to be the best player in all four majors is obviously a huge confidence boost for myself. Obviously to beat all of the guys that won, Tiger and Phil and those great names, a lot of good players have won that, the leading player in all four majors. To have my name among those great players means a hell of a lot.

Q. So do you feel now that you've got yourself another chance here?
ROSS FISHER: Got a massive chance, yeah. It's going to be very, very difficult. Cabrera is obviously playing very well. It's obviously going to be a course that suits him because he hits the ball very, very long. I felt like I'm gradually improving and getting better. Swing feels pretty good, and if I can just give myself chances and start reading these greens and seeing the lines and holing some putts, then I feel like I've got a very good chance.

Q. Where were you when you knew you were through your group this afternoon?
ROSS FISHER: Probably standing waiting to see what happened to my ball on 18. We walked up and obviously knew the ball was okay and then obviously saw -- we thought Camilo had holed his, and Westy had missed his for Camilo to have won. Obviously it was for a halve. So walking up there knowing that you're through obviously is huge. We made the decision for the chip shot off the path.

Q. So you worked it out or somebody told you you're through?
ROSS FISHER: No. We literally worked out because it was on the board saying that he had halved, and then he had three points obviously. I could only win 1-up, which I was going to get two points, so it was done and dusted.
GORDON SIMPSON: Well, great playing again today, Ross. Good luck in the semifinal.

End of FastScripts

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