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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 12, 2010

Sam Querrey

LONDON, ENGLAND

S. QUERREY/R. Schuettler
6-7, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. An up-and-down match?
SAM QUERREY: Not really. I thought it was pretty consistent. Couple little slip-ups or opportunities I had late in the first set there, but I thought I served unbelievable the whole match.
I thought it was -- you know, I did a good job getting through it.

Q. What happened in Paris seem a really long time ago now?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, I'm a different player out there. I'm having fun, enjoying it. I'm looking forward to the match tomorrow.

Q. When did you last feel like this, like having fun and enjoying it again?
SAM QUERREY: Memphis.

Q. Really?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah.

Q. Have your family traveled with you before? They're over here en bloc? How many family have you got with you?
SAM QUERREY: Well, I mean, my mom, my dad, my sister, my immediate family. My sister has two friends over here, my friend's over here, one of my cousins was here.
But they come to a lot of tournaments. They were at -- they've been to Australia before, they came to San Jose, Memphis, Indian Wells, they came to Davis Cup in Serbia, came over here. They come to a lot of tournaments during the year, which is fun.

Q. Was that the problem when you sort of high-tailed it out of Roland Garros? Had you just sort of had enough of being on your own and Europe and everything?
SAM QUERREY: I just had played -- that was like my fifth, I mean, really like my sixth week in a row because I got there a week before Rome. I had played a lot -- two weeks before that, I played five matches in Houston. So just a lot of tennis, and I think I just physically and mentally needed a little bit of a break.

Q. What did you do between then and now to refresh yourself?
SAM QUERREY: After the French Open I didn't play tennis or work out for a full week. Then I hit for like two days and then flew over here. I mean, I hit -- I've hit 10 million tennis balls in my life, so if I don't hit for a week, it won't really hurt my game. But, you know, I practiced for three, four days before this tournament and came out there feeling great.

Q. Do you find London a more agreeable environment than some of their European cousins?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah. No, it's nice, because I'm staying in a house the whole time in Wimbledon for a month and you kind of settle it. You can unpack, get groceries at the grocery store, eating breakfast at the house every morning.
You know, there is Nintendo so I can play that. There's like a fun pool, there's a trampoline. It feels more like home, which is a nice feeling.

Q. Is your mother staying over the whole time?
SAM QUERREY: No. My mom and sister and her two friends actually got up at 3-0 in the third set because they are flying to Nice and Barcelona for the next five days on vacation to tour. So I saw them get up at 3-0. My mom waved to me. She asked me to call her and tell her how it went. (Laughter.)
They're gone for the next five or six days. Then they're coming back.

Q. So who's cooking breakfast when they're way?
SAM QUERREY: Well, I don't know, because my dad is actually going home on Monday, too. Then he's coming back for Wimbledon. So I'm on my own there for a week. I'm gonna struggle.

Q. Your game really looks amazing on grass. You have a big serve and you have a big game. A lot of people probably assume you're going to be a challenger on grass. Is it a surface where you have to really learn, you have to put in your time on it to actually learn how to play on it?
SAM QUERREY: Definitely. It's the hardest surface to play on, I think. This is -- you know, like I've always said I feel more comfortable every year. I mean, four years ago I still had a big serve and a big forehand. I mean, I just got chopped up on grass. I didn't know what I was doing.
So it definitely takes some time. You know, the movement is the biggest thing. And, you know, even if you have a big serve, you know, people always assume you're supposed to do really well on grass.
I think myself and John Isner those first few years at Wimbledon, people were always saying, You guys are going to go deep because you've got huge serves, but it's a lot more than just the serve on grass.

Q. Somebody who stands as tall as you, how does the low bounce feel?
SAM QUERREY: I don't mind it. Just bend the knees a little bit, give it a swing.

Q. Can you talk about your potential opponents in the final?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah, Mardy and Feliciano, they're both great players. I've never beaten either of them. Mardy was up 5-2 when I came in here. I hope Mardy wins that one. He's one of my good friends on tour. I want him to do really well.
I'll be cheering for him. You know, it will be fun to play him in a final.
But Feliciano is a great player. It's always tough to play a lefty out there. We'll see what happens.

Q. We had a Spaniard here earlier in the week who served and volleyed just about every point, but very few players do now. What's your attitude, serving and volleying on grass?
SAM QUERREY: I mean, part of it is the technology with the racquets and the string. It's easy to put so much spin on the ball and really dip it down low. I mean, the running forehand pass is -- I mean, it looks great. Who can't hit that these days?
You know, it's -- it's just tough. I think guys just return so much better these days. Back in the day, serve and volleyers, more guys had continental grips. You can't get the ball down with a continental grip.
Today with the western grips there is so much spin and action on the ball. It's hard to come to the net unless you come to the net off a ball where your opponent is reaching or kind of putting some air under it.

Q. You say it's the hardest surface of all, harder than clay. How do you come to terms with it? Is it just patience, or somebody like Roddick who initially had the same problems as you but now loves the stuff, have you had chats with him?
SAM QUERREY: Yeah. It's kind of been the same. You know, all the great grass courters, Pete, Roger, Andy, they all lost early at Wimbledon. No one really steps onto the surface and is comfortable and does well. It's one of those -- you know, you spend three weeks on it a year, or four weeks.
So, you know, the first time I was over here, I spent four weeks on it. You know, these guys who have been out there for five, six years, you know, they've got a little more time out there.
It's really something -- you know, when I was home, I didn't even play on grass. There's really no grass courts in California I could practice on, or Las Vegas, and it's just -- you don't really have to change too much in your game, but you have to be a little more aggressive. You have to -- you know, you do have to come in on a short ball when you can. It's a tough surface.

Q. Can you just elaborate? If it is Mardy, you say he is one of your best friends. Do you have any story about the two of you together?
SAM QUERREY: I mean, we hang out a lot and stuff.

Q. Just on the tour? I mean...
SAM QUERREY: He spends a lot of time in California and I do, too. We practice a lot, and we practice a lot at the tournaments. We go out to dinner a lot. We're just really good buddies.

Q. Horrible clichÃ©d question, but will the two of you watch the football match tonight together?
SAM QUERREY: I don't know; maybe. We were invited to his house; I invited him to our house. We'll see. We might.

Q. Are you a soccer fan?
SAM QUERREY: A little bit this time of year. I'll watch it now and I'll watch it again in four more years.

End of FastScripts

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