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U.S. OPEN

September 1, 2010

Ivan Ljubicic

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

R. HARRISON/I. Ljubicic
6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was the serve the biggest problem?
IVAN LJUBICIC: No.

Q. What was the biggest problem?
IVAN LJUBICIC: The weather. The weather was my biggest enemy today. I mean, throughout my career I struggled with the heat. I'm not really coping really well with that, and I tried all kind of different tactics to deal with it. I never find the right one.
So today was no different. Then everything else just comes together. I mean, I was not returning well, serving well, and Ryan was on top of his game.
When everything gets together, it was pretty comfortable win for him.

Q. What is your issue with the heat? Do you sweat too much?
IVAN LJUBICIC: I sweat a lot, and I just feel really bad. I mean, I can't move, I can't -- it's just -- it gets to me really quickly actually. Already in the first set I was struggling with it. It's really physical problem.

Q. Would you be in favor of a heat rule for the men?
IVAN LJUBICIC: I would be in favor of indoor tour altogether, if you ask me. (Laughter.)

Q. No, but seriously, would you...
IVAN LJUBICIC: No, I mean, we saw some players struggling big time, and there is like comments say it's the same thing for everybody, but really not. Somebody is struggling more than others, and I think it's just not fun.
I think people out there are coming to see good tennis, and, you know, days like this, it's all about everything except tennis, you know. It's just trying to hang in there and hit some balls more on the court than the other guy or other girl, whoever plays.

Q. Would a break help, 10-minute break?
IVAN LJUBICIC: A break doesn't really help. Australia they have a pretty good rule. When it's too hot, you just don't play. I think that's something that it's sensitive. Now it's -- where is the limit, that's something that you, you know, the officials need to decide.
But, again, some tournaments we have it; some tournaments we don't. When we don't, we have to deal with it, who can, who cannot. That's it. Life goes on.

Q. Hardcourts make it worse?
IVAN LJUBICIC: Definitely. I mean, the concrete, it's just brutal. I mean, you get heat not from -- not only from the sky, but also from the bottom.
So it's definitely not helping.

Q. You've faced him before. What does he do well? He seems to mix it up pretty well.
IVAN LJUBICIC: We played at Indian Wells, but the conditions there are very different. It was much slower court, and it was easier for me to handle him from the baseline.
Today was very quick court, and then he played definitely more solid today than he was in Indian Wells. He's 18-year-old kid. He definitely is gonna play every day better and better.

Q. Here in the States, we're always looking for the next great player. He's 18 and one of the kids that's talked about. Obviously it's hard to gauge somebody's potential at 18.
IVAN LJUBICIC: I'm really not good in that. I would never say that some top guys did what they did, and other way around.
So I would really try not to make any comments of that. But he's definitely good, good player. I mean, he qualified here, which is, I think, great for him. You know, not just to get wildcards left and right whenever he needs and really try to struggle through the quallies. That definitely helped him for today's match, as well.

Q. Are you playing next year? Have you made that decision?
IVAN LJUBICIC: I haven't made that decision yet, no.

Q. Is it in the balance, or how's it looking for you at this point?
IVAN LJUBICIC: I don't know. If I find the right motivation to work hard and go back there and compete, I will. But, I mean, you know, it's not like I'm thinking about it. I just want to do this season and then take a nice, long break and then see what then, you know. There's time to make those decisions.

Q. Do you think if you hadn't won at Indian Wells that that decision would be kind of made by now?
IVAN LJUBICIC: I wouldn't think that I would -- or I'm gonna make that decision based on my performance. It's just really about motivation, if you're able to go out there and work hard other than play. Because playing, it's never a problem. It's really, you know, that December workout for four, five weeks that you basically never touch the ball and you have to do all the physical work.
That's something that it's -- you gonna feel it. I think you gonna feel it if you're up or not for the next season. So we'll see.

Q. You're a veteran. I'm wondering if through the years the amount of hair gel players are using has increased.
IVAN LJUBICIC: Well, it's definitely a problem. (Laughter.) No, the guys are -- it's difficult. The older you get, the more difficult it is, of course.

Q. But are you surprised? I mean, when you came on tour, did you see that there was as much use of that as there is today?
IVAN LJUBICIC: No. Well, depends of the mentality of the player. Doesn't really mean -- you know, some guys are really careful how they look. The others don't. So it's up to them.
For me, it's not about a look, but it's not like I have something to play with. (Laughter.)

End of FastScripts

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