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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2011

Tomas Berdych

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

T. BERDYCH/F. Verdasco
6-4, 6-2, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was that a good match for you now approaching the finals?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Finals? Which finals?

Q. Quarterfinals.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Quarterfinals sure, sorry. I didn't hear. Yeah, definitely. It was a great match for me today. Only maybe the beginning of the first set that I lost my serve, and then needs to fight back for next two games to get it back. That was really tough one and was very important for me, because I think it was a kind of really key of the match.
Then he went a little bit down, and I took over him and starts to play really well with confidence. Then I was playing really the game what I want to do and I was playing well.

Q. Did the scoreline surprise you? It was pretty straight-sets win. Did you expect more from him?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I mean, I'm expecting first of all what I'm going to do on court and how is my game going to be and then what's the other going to do it's not too important for me. Just a matter of my game and my game was great today.
I was playing well. Just looks that it was, yeah, straight three sets.

Q. Nine unforced errors in nearly two hours. Can you recall having a Grand Slam match of that standard?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I mean, it's definitely one of the parts of my game that I was trying to improve, that I can still be aggressive enough on court but not with too many mistakes. That's the way what I need to go.
You know, to do it in the fourth round of the Grand Slam with an opponent like this it's even better for me. Just showed that all the hard work what we've done with my coach was good, was working. I hope I can keep it up.

Q. If it worries you at all, but everyone before a championship talks about Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic. I think people forget about you and how good you are. Does that get under your skin a little bit?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, definitely not. I mean, probably it's just the way of -- for me, just way of I can just smile about those things. You know, that's just the way of somebody around the courts are talking about someone possible winners and stuff like that.
For me, the important one is go on court and play well and doesn't matter what's going to happen. So far I'm in quarterfinals, so doing well. Beat all the guys that I was like in the ranking behind which is important for me. Now pretty much we will see.

Q. Does it bother you at all when Lucie loses and it's a very close match? Have you ever had a time in the past where that discourages you?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I think she did a great match yesterday. That's the match is what she needs. You know, similar situation that I had couple years ago that she likes to play big matches, but they are just close. To beat second player in the world is not every day. Probably she's on the good run. If that's going to keep it like that, going to stay healthy. Just show that she can play well and she can make some trouble of the big players as well.
I think she did a good job.

Q. Is it discouraging that she plays so well and hitting the winners and the other player is being defensive, just that little bit in the second set. She was hitting bigger shots than Zvonareva. Zvonareva was very defensive and it was too bad because maybe she had chances.
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I mean, she had chances, but that's the way what she's playing. Pretty much we had a similar game. I was, yeah, kind of similar like she, that I was like to play aggressive. But if you want to do better, then you still need to bring something more to the game. That was the thing that I was talking there, you know, stay more patient as well. Too much mistakes.
Yeah, that's the way of all -- like steps in the career. I think she knows what she needs to do, and she's going to do it well.

Q. It's been suggested that the courts here are as slow as a lot of players can remember. Do you think that suits you or not at all?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Tough to say. I just lost one set. I'm in quarterfinals. Pretty much it suits well.

Q. Looking forward to playing on Rod Laver?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I hope so. Maybe. Even maybe we going to go Show Court 3. Just depends. Doesn't matter.

Q. You played so many times on Show Court 3 or Margaret Court. Do you feel really comfortable there?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, it's a nice court. I mean, it's nice to play there. So far win almost all matches I played there. Yeah, I mean, I'm feeling good there.
But, you know, I mean, it's just the way of the next round is going to be on the other arenas, and so far I have only win in Wimbledon center court. Hopefully I can do it here and have some winning matches on center here as well.

Q. Can you let us know how you got the cheer squad? Where did they come from?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, it's already kind of long story, because I met them really like four, maybe five years ago already. At the time, they were like three, four, maybe five of them. As you can see these days, there is like 15, 20 young people.
You know, they just coming here. I had a chance last year. They came to Brisbane as well, Kooyong this year. They really enjoy it. Especially this time in Australia it's the holidays. They're staying here. They're all Aussies, so it's no one from Czech in this group. For me, it's great to have this kind of support.
It's just really nice.

Q. Do you know whether they're all from here or other parts of Australia?
TOMAS BERDYCH: I don't know. Pretty much there is quite many of them that I wouldn't know all the places that they are living. But pretty much they are from these kind of areas around Melbourne.

Q. Do you have anywhere else in the world where grown, bare-chested men hug each other and cheer you on?
TOMAS BERDYCH: No, no. Definitely not. I mean, that's really a nice part of this tournament. As you can see, also in the other groups, you know, like the Spanish and Croatian people, all the other, Sweden. It's always part of this Grand Slam. It's very nice that I can be one of the players that have this really nice group. They're just enjoying holidays, coming every day for the tennis. I think they have fun.

Q. Have they asked you for tickets?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, I have to do tickets for them.

Q. Particularly on the big courts, is it going to be difficult to get them in?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Yeah, definitely it will be. We'll see. Try my best.

Q. How do you like the matchup with Djokovic?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, I just to have try to forget the last two meetings that we did together and try to think about the match we played in London -- actually in Wimbledon.
But on the other way, very important is just going to be try to look what's happen before. The important thing is going to be what I'm going to do on court and try to concentrate the game I was playing, especially today, the day before, and try to, you know, continue with this game, with this -- my aggression game. That's going to be the way of kind of my preparation.

Q. When things are not going too well, do you think back to Wimbledon?
TOMAS BERDYCH: Well, it's already past. You know, it's not the way that I would be on court, not feeling good and that I would be sitting and, Well, you know, thinking back what happened in Wimbledon. It's already half year ago. You know, it's a great results, of course, but it's not time to be thinking about that on court or before the matches.
You can just think about that, I don't know, when you're sitting at home and just talking about tennis or whatever. But not before the game or in the game. That's not time for that. You need to just be really focused what's coming up in the next point and that's it.

End of FastScripts

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