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BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 24, 2010

Michael Berrer

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

M. BERRER/N. Davydenko
6-3, Retired

Q. Did you feel you were going to win anyway today?
MICHAEL BERRER: To be honest, yes. At the moment, I'm very self-confident. My way of playing, I think can hurt a lot of guys. So today I felt like I have a chance, and I was a little bit disappointed to be honest. But it's okay. I'll take it.

Q. What has happened to you this year? Last year you won five matches. This year you've now won ten already.
MICHAEL BERRER: Yeah.

Q. What's happened in the off season?
MICHAEL BERRER: I have a new coach. Maybe that's one of the reasons, yeah. Pretty good coach, Claudio Pistolesi, who was a good player himself. He worked with Bolelli before and Sanguinetti.
So, yeah. They gave me a lot of confidence together with my home base at home, my regional federation, they work together very well. And I think that was the changing point now to get back to a better ranking.

Q. How did you link up with him?
MICHAEL BERRER: It was my manager who did that, Mr. Hordorff, coach of Rainer Schuettler.

Q. Do you think the coach can make the player or the player can only make himself? You're probably training much more?
MICHAEL BERRER: I understand your question. But well, I am German, and in Germany you are little bit like a little bit more self-critic. You doubt yourself a little bit more than maybe in other countries.
So he helped me a little bit to believe more in my strength, and together what I worked with my old coach all these years playing aggressive. He helped me on the tournaments to have this aggressive thinking and going more to the net, trying to do the points myself.
So it was good that finally I met the right coach for me. Obviously, it's helped a lot.

Q. You also make some physical improvements or only tennis?
MICHAEL BERRER: Well, they always told me that I'm too heavy and that I'm fat. But I mean I'm 100 kilos and I will never change that in my career.
So, yeah, of course I work a lot with my conditioning coach at home. I do a lot of running on the treadmill and stuff. But, okay, everybody does that. So that is the only thing addition that came. Also I got used to the higher level a little bit in the last month.

Q. What areas of your game did you work on with your coach, work specifically?
MICHAEL BERRER: Well, work everything like hitting the ball hard, serving well. There were times last year when I served 26 double faults and I still won a set against Tursunov when he was 29 in the world in Indianapolis.
There was some crisis last year. Now we've strengthened everything a little bit. I can hit the ball a little bit harder than the others, so that it makes it a little bit different at the moment. But let's see how it will be tomorrow.

Q. So what was your take on the first set today?
MICHAEL BERRER: Sorry?

Q. What were your thoughts about the first set today?
MICHAEL BERRER: I think I played very aggressive. The good thing was I knew what I had to do because I didn't change the direction too often. I played the ball where it came from, so that's why I think what he doesn't like so much. He likes to run, play it from running. So I tried to play it just to make him play from the stand, what is not his really advantage.
So I went to the net a lot, put pressure on the second serve. So, I felt good, and I was hoping now let's go on, play and win this match. Unfortunately, it was not really winning, but doesn't matter.

Q. Many people said that you played your best match against Cilic in Zagreb in the final. What do you think about that?
MICHAEL BERRER: I think they are right. It was really one of the best matches I've ever played. So it's good at 29 that you can still improve, huh (smiling)?

Q. Yeah, this is now popular, last year Stepanek, this year maybe you?
MICHAEL BERRER: Well, I think I cannot compare with Stepanek. I think he made like $10 million in prize money, and like he won 50 tournaments. But no, it's okay. I this I this match was very important for me, because Cilic at home with all the crowd behind him was pretty good.
And it's a good feeling if Igor Ivanisevic comes to you in the locker room and said you played a great match, keep on going. It helps to be focused for the next match.

Q. In the last couple of years when you've really been struggling, what kept you going?
MICHAEL BERRER: Well, I love tennis. It's the best sport or the best job you can have. I studied at home, and this is like 50 million people can do studying. It's also a gift to do that. But to play tennis on a professional level, I think there is not a lot of better things, because it's my hobby which is my occupation.
So, for me, it's an honor to play on courts like this, matches like this. It's really good.

Q. But it's expensive and you weren't making a lot of money?
MICHAEL BERRER: Well, you know. I don't know if you study, you finish your university, I don't know how much money you make. I have a lot of friends who finished their university and they're now start to work, and I know what they earn. So I think I've still got along very well.
And obviously money is not everything. I mean, I don't need fifteen houses and five Porsche in my garage. There are other cars, but that's all right. But I don't need that. I want to do what I like, and that's a gift itself. So why should I quit? I can study after.

Q. So what is your goal for this year?
MICHAEL BERRER: Let's say the goal is to be in the Top 15. And then there is a much higher goal which I will not say, which I have said with my coach, and I have it in my heart and it's better not to say.

Q. You won't play the first round Davis Cup next week. Is it about your current choice only or is it also your coach's choice?
MICHAEL BERRER: I don't want to say anything about this. We, Patrik and me, we are very good friends and we spoke about this. And we agreed that this time it is not the right time. So there is not a lot to say.
There are no bad feelings between the Davis Cup captain and for example me. We get along very well. And it's a decision that was made in favor for my growth as a tennis player.
It's difficult to understand, and I know that. And I already heard that they called me that I am the Vaterlandsverrater, but it's not like that. And everything is in communication with the Davis Cup captain. So from my side and my position, that was in agreement with him. Of course he was disappointed, but nobody could imagine that I'd play that good. If you play Davis Cup you have to be in very good physical shape, so that is a different story.

Q. Do you think the Germans can beat again some big tennis nation as it was when Becker was playing?
MICHAEL BERRER: Now we have an expert here who is doing that, one from the German press. But I think that depends all on the players. Of course, also you have to win a Grand Slam. You should not lose in the semifinal, then you are a loser in Germany. It's like that.
If you are in the final, you're the first loser. They are very spoiled, of course, because we had only winners, we had Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Steffi Graf. And if you are in the semifinal it's a little bit not so good, but it's how you see it, huh.
Also I think the national federation has to do more for the sport, of course. They have to work more on the media presence. They have to try to get the tennis back on on the television, because you will not see this match on television. You will not see the semifinal in Germany.

Q. Now you can walk wherever you want?
MICHAEL BERRER: Yeah, yeah, nobody knows. That is not a disadvantage. But it is just like that. But to promote the sport is very important, and they will hopefully do better in the future. I don't see the near future, but might be changes.

End of FastScripts

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