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BARCLAYS DUBAI TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 24, 2010

Janko Tipsarevic

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

J. TIPSAREVIC/A. Murray
7-6, 4-6, 6-4

Q. When was the last time you had a match as dramatic as that?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Two weeks ago.

Q. Two weeks?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: This is not new for me. I am playing a lot of exciting finishes of the matches, even though I don't have to. Today it could have been like a good match, but an easy closeout at 5-3 serving for the match.
Instead I choose to make -- I don't know -- a spectacle or something. I don't know. The fans will enjoy, and then luckily I won. But a lot of times it happens that I lose because I don't use the chances that I have. It's like it's not interesting enough to finish the score 6-3. It has to be like a dramatic finish. I said two weeks because in Rotterdam I had a match point.

Q. Against?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Florian Mayer. Also serving for the match or whatever, and I lose 7-6 or something like that.

Q. Where do you rate this match in your career?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Sorry?

Q. Where do you rate this win in your career?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: One of the biggest wins. For me, Murray is a contestant to be No. 1 at the end of the season. He played unbelievable tennis at the Australian Open, and a very comfortable victory here. So one of the favorites to win the tournament, for sure.
I had a couple of Top 10 victories, and this is one of the biggest wins that I ever.

Q. Do you fancy your own chances of winning the tournament?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: I don't think of it like that. I came here with fever and being completely sick, but day after day I'm feeling better and better. Yesterday night I ate two big heads of white garlic, because Novak told me I'm going to feel better. Actually I did.
But I'm just trying to be fit for the match against Youzhny tomorrow. He's playing very well. I won against him I think two times, and I lost. And I'm thinking of it match after match, you know.
Really, at this state I'm playing doubles also tomorrow. I'm just trying to be physically fit enough. I know I can beat good players. That's not a new thing for me. It's just that I need to stay calm from first until the last point no matter what happens like I did today.

Q. Did you ever think when you were feeling really sick when you arrived here, did you think to just say no, I can't play?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Yes, I did. I don't want to sound like a hero. Today I was feeling good. The thing is that on the court when I warm up and I start moving, I feel really well. Outside I feel worse than I actually feel on the tennis court, you know, with the nose going out. And if you could see my bed was completely full of like napkins because I was blowing my nose all the time.
I don't want to sound like a hero, as I said, like beating Murray completely sick. That's not true. I was fit, I was good, and I was ready. My sickness had nothing to do with the victory.

Q. When did you come down with this virus?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: When I came here Thursday. I was sleeping without my shirt in the hotel room. The air conditioning was on, and I woke up completely sick.

Q. You mentioned what you didn't like about your game that you didn't take the chances that you said you had. What did you like about the game?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: Some chances I did take. I mean, I'm glad that even when I was serving for the match, I didn't go three meters behind the baseline, and running and waiting for Murray to miss. I made a mistake with my backhand approach. He made an unbelievable passing shot, and he was really returning well.
So that's one of the reasons why I stayed there and I wasn't pissed, you know. Sometimes when I don't enjoy myself on the court and lose, then I get completely pissed and start like tanking matches. Not winning one point until the end.
But even though I lost at 5-3, I was enjoying myself. I mean, I had fun. We played good tennis. Luckily at 5-4 he didn't make too many serves, too many first serves. But I'm off the question.
I'm happy because I was aggressive, yet smart enough to win today. With Andy it's a little bit of a mind game. You need to get aggressive. But if you're too aggressive just rushing to the net, he's going to pass you very, very easy.

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