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SHANGHAI ROLEX MASTERS

October 17, 2010

Roger Federer

SHANGHAI, CHINA

A. MURRAY/R. Federer
6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is this defeat more difficult to swallow because of the score: 6-3, 6-2?
ROGER FEDERER: Doesn't matter, no. 5-5, 2-3, 6 in the third, no, they don't matter much, the score lines.
For those who saw it, they saw a close match with some chances on my side. Because he's such a good return player, he's always going to create even more chances once he has the break. That's why he's a guy that can break you a couple times a set.
Can't read too much into the scores.

Q. You had four break chances early in the second. What do you think he did at those moments to fight you off?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, had also a chance in the first set. Definitely could have been a different turnout in the match and in the score potentially.
But, look, I thought he played well overall. He didn't give me much, you know. The usual style he plays. I was missing a few too many shots, which I wish I hadn't because that could have definitely maybe swung momentum around, given me more confidence to play more sort of forward, more attacking.
But missing so many important shots really over and over again obviously took a lot of my confidence away. Then the targets seemed to get smaller and smaller. That's definitely his credit, a pity for me.
But I had a good tournament. I thought I played well this week. Had some great wins against Soderling, Isner, Seppi, also Djokovic. I'm very happy with where my game is at. Today could have been better. But, look, Andy was the best player of the tournament so he deserved it.

Q. Could you give us your take on the overrule from the smash that didn't go long in the end and your reaction to it.
ROGER FEDERER: The challenge?

Q. Give us your take on that, how that affected you.
ROGER FEDERER: It was a classic bad mistake by the lines person. Kind of one of those moments you don't want it to happen so you don't have to defend a breakpoint twice. That's at the end what cost me the maybe the match potentially.
It happens the whole time. You hope it doesn't happen in the finals against a great player like Andy on a breakpoint. There's not worse than having to fight off two breakpoints when in essence it's only one and you basically won the point because the overhead was just a 'gimme'. It's unfortunate sometimes how they turn out, these calls. They happen. They will continue to happen.
It was a bit of frustration obviously in the moment itself because I didn't hear the call at all. I don't know what happened. I had difficulties communicating with the umpire. He wouldn't understand what I was saying. So that just kind of made it more and more difficult.

Q. He's clearly got a very decent record against you in best-of-three matches. In best-of-five, you've come out on top. Is there somewhat of a different mindset, not more capable, but in the ascendancy in Grand Slam matches rather than in best-of-three?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, look, he's still going for his first Grand Slam, so that's hard, you know. You also got to give the guy a bit of I don't want to say time, but like credit for trying and playing so well in the Masters 1000s. He's won a bunch of those guys now.
Obviously clearly the next step for him is to win a Grand Slam. But it's not easy to break through. You have to break through me, I don't know if he's been in another Grand Slam final other than me. There's tough guys at the top right now and they don't give you just an easy match, you know.
But he's capable of beating everybody right now. He's proven it. He's beaten everybody multiple times, I think Rafa, Novak, myself. That's what you got to do, and hopefully you can string those matches together when it really matters in slams.
But the tour is just not only slams, you know. He's having another good year. I'm happy for him because he's a good player.

Q. You're playing Stockholm next, right?
ROGER FEDERER: Uh-huh.

Q. I think this year your schedule has been busy for the latter part of the year. What was the reason behind adding Stockholm?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I mean, last year I had quite a few things happening through the summer, you know, winning French, winning Wimbledon, playing well in the summer, having twins, getting married, you name it.
I could have done it, come here as well. But I just needed a rest. I was tired. This year, obviously the French and Wimbledon were nothing as brutal as last year. That's why also for me it was a big priority at the beginning of the year so I could play Shanghai. I was considering either playing, you know, the week before Shanghai or the week after.
But I felt like I owed Stockholm to come back there. Good friends with Bjorkman and Johansson, who run the tournament there now. Disappointment pulling out there a couple years ago. That was the decision behind that. I hope also by playing Stockholm, this was half indoor tournament already, which is good for what's to come now. I hope it's going to help me playing well in Basel, Paris and then London. Still a lot of points to pick up and many important events for me.

Q. Have you talked with your girls yet?
ROGER FEDERER: No, I haven't. They don't speak yet. That's why (smiling).

Q. When you haven't played for a little while and clearly you decide to take a bit of time off, get some practice hours under your belt, is it just the small things that go off a little bit? One could look at one or two of your forehands today and probably say, That isn't the Federer forehand we've grown to know and love. Is it just little things like that that you need to tighten up?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know how much practice helps that, to be honest. You know, I think that's Andy making the target smaller for myself. Like you say, a normal match, that thing goes in the corner. I'm not going to miss those shots.
But, look, today, the whole match just turned out for me, every time it got important, it was not going my way. Then you feel like it's a wave coming at you and you just can't escape it. That's kind of the feeling I had today.
You don't play with frustration, you just try to play decent. But against top guys who are in the lead and who are on a roll, it's hard to turn it around, you know. I mean, you're going to maybe turn that around, what, 20% of the time, if that. I tried to do it, but, you know, he was better.
Forehand was working really well all week, but today I just couldn't kind of get it working, especially when it mattered. Because other than that, it wasn't that bad. Just in key moments. I don't think the forehand was a problem, it was just a matter of, you know, getting a bit of luck on my side, which I didn't get.

Q. I'm from South Korea. I'm surprised to see how many Chinese people support you here. In terms of popularity in tennis in South Korea, it's getting decreased. Do you have any plans to come to South Korea?
ROGER FEDERER: I tried twice already. I played Rafa and Sampras there a few years ago. That was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it. I had a good time in Seoul. I thought it was a nice city, definitely a place I could see myself coming back to play.
The thing is now, exhibitions, to come to Asia for just a couple, it's tough. They don't have a tournament, so it doesn't make it much easier.
You know, I think in not only just promoting tennis around the world or just in China, I'm trying to have it being popular all around Asia. I hope South Korea is also affected by this boom we have in the men's game right now. I think it's really in a good state. It's unfortunate to hear that it's decreasing. I wish it was good news.
Look, I hope that in the future maybe there's a tournament or an XO that I can visit and do some more promotion in South Korea.

End of FastScripts

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