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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2011

Roger Federer

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

R. FEDERER/L. Lacko
6-1, 6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Is that one of the best starts you've had to a Grand Slam?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. I don't remember all my starts, to be quite honest right now.
But, look, I thought I played great. Tried to play offensive from the start and see where it takes me. It didn't work. You know, I got back and played a bit more risky and so forth.
But I was able to keep on pressing, you know, put him on the back foot. For me it was no surprise he started, you know, to get into the match at one stage in the third set. You know, I thought it was a good match. I don't think he played too bad himself. I saw some talent in him, too, and that's why I think I was really happy I chose that tactics early on to pressure him.
That it worked was obviously great. But at the end, I'm obviously very happy.

Q. How are the twins?
ROGER FEDERER: The twins are good. Thanks for asking.

Q. Are they showing any signs of good hand-eye coordination at this stage?
ROGER FEDERER: I don't know. Ask me next year when they're a year older. Right now, they're not playing that much with tennis racquets and stuff yet. They're still a bit too young.

Q. We still don't know the name of your next opponent. It could be Gilles Simon. He's one of very few players on tour you have a losing record against. Is that something that affects your preparation at all?
ROGER FEDERER: Uhm, no, it doesn't affect my preparation. You know, maybe I'll look into - if I do play him; if he was to win - if I do play him, maybe I will look just a bit more into what has worked and what has not worked against him in the past.
Obviously, it's up to Paul and Severin to give me advice on how to play him. Then it's up to me to, you know, mentally try to forget those matches or remember the good things I did, because both matches we did play against each other were close.
I mean, one - no excuses - but I came in, it was the back issue at the Masters. But, look, he played well. He was on a great run there, playing the finals I think in Madrid, beating Rafa there. So he's beaten the best in the world really. If he can do it once, he always feels he can do it again, which he did against me.
It's a tricky second round for me if I play Simon. Even if I don't play him, the other guy is very good, too.

Q. You talked about Paul after the game. You said he's a nice guy and you know him well. What else was it about him thought you thought he could help you? What was it particularly about Paul?
ROGER FEDERER: I didn't have anything particularly in mind. With Tony Roche, for instance, I had very much in mind I wanted someone who could improve my volley. That really worked with him. So I'm still obviously very thankful to the great work I got in with Tony Roche. He was really happy to teach me how to work with, you know, good quality and practice for a long period of time, really motivate me for the practice, had good advice all around.
With Paul I didn't know, to be honest, what to expect too much. I had more of a conversation. It was more on a level of, you know, just on a broad level all around, you know, just getting someone in from the outside a bit more who I could listen to, who had just some advice maybe I never heard about.
You know, it worked well. I'm happy it integrated well. Gets along well with Severin, as well. The results have shown, as well. So I'm very happy.

Q. Going back to the memories you had about the match with Simon, normally you remember more the wins?
ROGER FEDERER: Which ones? Either one? I played him twice.

Q. I'm just asking you if you remember more easily the wins, the loss, certain specific matches? Do you remember, in general, a lot of them or just a few very important?
ROGER FEDERER: You mean if I remember the losses more?

Q. Yeah, or the wins.
ROGER FEDERER: Well, usually I remember the losses maybe just a bit more because I don't have as many as I have wins (smiling). It's a good/bad problem. Because I have started to forget wins, which is not a good sign, you know, or a good sign. Depends on how you look at it (laughter).
But losses come to me faster just 'cause I don't have as many as the wins, like I said before. So I quickly can tell you probably what happened in those matches and so forth, you know. Because usually when you lose, you leave and you analyze the match and you try to think back on what could I have done better and it kind of sticks with you for a little bit.
Whereas normally with a match in a normal tournament, you win, you move onto the next round. You win, you move onto the next round. It doesn't last with you so long. But when you lose, you have a few days to think about it, or a couple times even a few weeks. Not that you're going to think about it all day long and in your dreams, but it for sure sticks with you longer.
That's why I do remember the matches with Simon vividly, to be quite honest.

Q. Do you remember when was the last time you didn't play on Rod Laver Arena?
ROGER FEDERER: It's been a while, that's for sure. Because they have two sessions here with the day and night session, they give me either one. The same at the US Open really. At the French and Wimbledon where we don't have the night sessions, you know, they mix it up a bit more, put me on Lenglen or Court 1. Hisense, Margaret Court, center court, either one is fine. As long as it's the show court, it's great.
I think it would change a lot if I were playing on one of the classic outside courts where you just have small stands. But they all feel like a center court. Some are smaller, some are bigger.
Sure, I always love playing on center court, but I don't request anything. I just get put where they like to see me play.

Q. You mentioned the dreams. Do you have bad dreams about losses in Grand Slam finals where you wake up in a cold sweat?
ROGER FEDERER: No, not really. I don't dream much, in the first place, which is a good thing, I think. Even if I would, I wouldn't tell you, so...
But I don't dream and wake up of nightmares like this, thank God - yet.

Q. There are a few members of the England cricket team watching you play - a very successful team, by the way. Have you been made aware of the significance of what the England team has done here? Do you follow cricket at all?
ROGER FEDERER: I do follow cricket, yes. I did see a bit of the Ashes at the very beginning. Then after that I didn't see much anymore.
Yeah, I mean, I always like to watch cricket when I'm down here. Yesterday I was watching the one-day match a bit. Yeah, I know it's big news, so you should be happy that you have it. It's not always going to be like that, you know (smiling). It changes, you know.
But they played well, you know, so...

Q. The YouTube video where you hit the bottle off the guy's head, is that real?
ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I did it twice, that's why I wanted to make sure people knew it was real. A bit of help there, but... (smiling.)

Q. You've never done it before and got someone in the face?
ROGER FEDERER: Well, we couldn't show those clips (smiling). Yeah, that's about it. That's all I'm going to say (laughter). Can't say more.

End of FastScripts

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