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NASDAQ-100 OPENMarch 25, 2005Irakli LabadzeMIAMI, FLORIDA THE MODERATOR: First question, please. Q. Did you think you had him in the tiebreak? IRAKLI LABADZE: I thought three times I had him. Q. In moments like this, there are not so many big wins for you, do you remember the Agassi match and try to remember how positive you were there at the end of that match? IRAKLI LABADZE: No, actually I was just playing. I don't remember nothing. I was just trying to play. I didn't say one word during the whole match. It's not usual for me. Just to the score. 5-4, 30-15, three mistakes in a row. Just was unacceptable mistakes for me so... Just little bit unlucky. Little bit shaky, you know. I mean, my backhand is not the best shot, you know, so I guess at the important point I got nervous. There you go, I lost the ball, I lost the match. Q. You've only played him once on the tour but you go back to when you were kids; is that right? IRAKLI LABADZE: Yeah, we played under 16, European Championships. I was 15, he was 16. We had a tough match, too, there. Q. Would you say you're friends off the court? IRAKLI LABADZE: Yeah, I would say yes. We know each other since 12 years old so... Q. Who won that match then in the Juniors? IRAKLI LABADZE: Fortunately, me. I rather win this one and lose that one. Q. If you know him quite well, do you think maybe he's suffering a little bit under the weight of the Australian Open? His performances since haven't been the same. IRAKLI LABADZE: No. After Australian Open, I think after that he played -- I don't know. No, nobody can play all the matches so good, you know. So I don't know. This one, you know, is difficult. Like today's match is difficult when you know somebody like from a youngster. You know he can play sometimes; like me, I can play sometimes - once a year. So then you get nervous, you know. Close matches, (hard?) to miss. Q. How much discomfort are you in at the moment, how much hurting is it with the kidney stone? IRAKLI LABADZE: No, I have no problem. Just the day I get pain, I just take the strong painkiller and all day I feel dizzy after. Otherwise, if I don't get a pain that day, then no problem. Q. Did you have a pain before today? IRAKLI LABADZE: No, no, nothing. I haven't had a pain since - I don't know - a week. Q. Where do you go from here? IRAKLI LABADZE: From here I go home, recover from this match, and then I try to play again in Valencia. Q. Vienna? IRAKLI LABADZE: I go Vienna first, yes. That's where I live right now. Then there's a tournament in Valencia, but that's already a clay court tournament. Q. How many clay court tournaments will you play before the French Open? IRAKLI LABADZE: Well, I don't even know if I play French Open because I was a little injured last year and I dropped a lot. So right now I'm 138. I don't know where I am. I don't know, I need to make semifinal Valencia, which is difficult first week of the clay. I don't think I'm gonna play Roland Garros. Q. Would you play qualifying at the French Open? IRAKLI LABADZE: Well, that's all depends before how I play. Because I play Barcelona, Munich, some tournaments main draw, you know. If I do well and I'm back to Top 100, then I will go for quallies. If not, I will try to play some challengers, get some matches, some confidence, and some points. Q. How long do you think this match will stay in your mind? IRAKLI LABADZE: I don't know. Definitely have a lot of time to think about it in the plane tomorrow. So I don't know. I go -- my brother is actually coming for a week to visit me next week, so I think he is going to help me to forget that match. Q. What things will you really think about on the plane tomorrow? What are those, specific points? IRAKLI LABADZE: No, I'm pretty happy with my game. But just definitely I'm going to think about my backhand, so how can I improve my backhand. Definitely I'm going to think about my physical shape, you know. I don't look like a tennis player (smiling). That's for sure. Sumo wrestler. Q. What did Marat say at the net? IRAKLI LABADZE: What can he say? I mean, it was like funeral for me. He didn't say nothing. Just like, "no worries." That's it. Q. Do you wonder why you don't more often play to that kind of standard? IRAKLI LABADZE: Why I don't play more often like that? Q. Yes. IRAKLI LABADZE: Because I'm Georgian (smiling). No, I don't know. You know, I have a lot of up and downs. I don't know. I think lately I've been playing pretty good, you know. So last year I started well, and I been playing the whole year pretty consistent. And after the injury, I lost a lot of confidence. So I don't know. Actually, this is my first match I played well in. I played three sets, decent three sets. If I look back and look at Australia, I played only one set against Roddick and I was out the court already, 911, I almost died, so... I don't know. I try to play one match, next match, lose or win, there is nothing else I can do, you know. That's all I know. So I don't want to go to university, I like it here. So I just play day by day. End of FastScripts…. |
