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CHINA OPEN

October 11, 2010

Novak Djokovic

BEIJING, CHINA

N. DJOKOVIC/D. Ferrer
6-2, 6-4

THE INTERPRETER: Questions, please.

Q. You looked kind of like you were on cruise control today. You looked pretty solid out there. There was just maybe a little bobble in the second set. How did it feel out there today?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Just happy to win another tournament and make my record here in Beijing even better. It's definitely one of the most successful tournaments in my career.
I started off really well, but then I lost the momentum. I kind of lost the rhythm, got him back into the match with some unforced errors, and it wasn't a really nice-looking match from both sides. We made a lot of unforced errors, especially him.
Well, he made my life a little bit easier in that end of the second set where, with his unforced errors, I got back into the set.
I was serving well. Well, that's the only thing, to be honest, I was happy about in the end of match, but it's a straight-set win and another title, so I have to be happy.

Q. What does this tournament and this match today in particular mean to you going into Shanghai? How do you feel about your matches coming up?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I had a great ending of 2009 starting off with a win here in Beijing, so I sincerely hope I can at least repeat the success that I had in 2009 and just a fantastic indoor season.
It's gonna be really difficult to defend all those points and to play as well as I did in 2009, but with the way I started off, I'm confident that I can still play good tennis, and I have a good chance to get into the final stages of each event I play.
This is definitely a confidence boost for me. In last two, three months, as I was saying before, I'm feeling much more comfortable and confident on the court, playing an aggressive game, and service is working for me, which is of course a great thing to have.
Let's see if I can keep it up. Energy-wise, I'm fresh. I'm gonna play my first singles match on Wednesday, so still have a day or two to get used to the conditions in Shanghai.

Q. (Through translation.) You are talking a lot about your service has been improved a great deal. In the first part of the season you have been under the guidance of Todd Martin. It seems your service was struggling a little bit. Have you got any lessons from the training of the second half of the year regarding your service?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yes, I have been working with Todd for a couple of months. Unfortunately it didn't work for us, and we had to take different paths. But it was a different experience, definitely. He tried to help me out as much as he can.
Yes, I was struggling in the last year or so with the serve, but still working hard on it. You know, it was probably more mental than anything else, and I knew that the time will come where my hard work will pay off, and that happened in the second part of the year probably starting from Wimbledon.

Q. (Through translation.) I observed that you have changed your racquet in the second set. Why? After you have changed your racquet, it seems that your game did not go so smoothly as you have expected. What do you think about it?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it changed because I broke it. I could not play with a broken racquet. (Laughter.)
No, seriously, I did make couple changes, played with fresh strings; that's why, you know. Because sometimes string tension is going up and down, and, you know, in the certain moment you don't feel comfortable with the racquet, so you change it.
That's why, you know, you need to always have three, four fresh ones, at least, so you can change.

Q. This is your third year in a row that you've done well, Olympic medal, last year, and this year. What is it about Beijing and the courts here that you particularly like?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, court surface itself is really suitable to my style of the game. I guess the food is very healthy, so I get a lot of energy from it.
I just don't know. You know, there's something special about this place that makes me feel like at home, as I was saying on the court. The people are being very kind and very hospitable. And I'm just not talking in my name. I'm talking about in the name of all the players.
We really think that China Open next to Shanghai, as well, is rated as one of the best-organized events in the world. You know, I really look forward coming back again.

Q. (Through translation.) We know that you are famous for your impersonation and also famous for your songs. This time after you have won the championship in China Open 2010 you haven't made any kind of such gestures. What do you think? Put it on now.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I have done some crazy things in my life, definitely, in public. So I enjoyed it. I enjoy having fun, really, on the court. Just my intentions are only positive, you know, to make the people laugh a little bit and just enjoy every single spontaneous moment that comes up. This time I haven't done anything crazy at the awards ceremony, but who knows? Maybe next time. (Smiling.)
My inspiration comes at night. If we would finish last night, maybe I would do something more interesting. I'm sorry.

End of FastScripts

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