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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MEN

February 21, 2011

Sergei Bubka

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

S. BUBKA/I. Ljubicic
6-1, 0-1 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Not really the way you want to win a match, I would think.
SERGEI BUBKA: Yeah, for sure if I wanted to win today, it would have been to play a full match. Unfortunately it happened this way. I hope that Ivan's injuries aren't too bad and won't affect the rest of his year.
Yeah, I'm through to the second round and I'm very happy.

Q. Did you sense early on that something was wrong, or did you feel like you were just playing amazingly?
SERGEI BUBKA: I wouldn't say that I was playing amazingly. I was playing pretty well for myself. Yeah, I could definitely see he's not playing even close to his best.
But I didn't think it was an injury. Yeah, I honestly didn't see that he's injured, but I knew that something's wrong with him.

Q. You must have taken confidence from the quallies, coming thorough, and obviously the experience of playing on the court gives you a bit of an advantage to players coming in cold.
SERGEI BUBKA: Yeah, definitely it's an advantage to have played two matches, especially just I was -- because of this I felt the court a little bit better and wasn't nervous. It's always tough to play first round.
So for sure it was more difficult for Ivan in terms of this. Yeah, it was a really good to win two matches in quallies against quite good players. I played some good tennis, which gave my confidence for today, and will give my confidence for the rest of the tournament.

Q. Your percentage of first serve in was 100% in the first set. Can you talk about that.
SERGEI BUBKA: Well, I think, yeah, like you said, maybe it was 100%, but probably the first serve percentage itself wasn't too high. I usually serve a little bit better percentage, because my serve is my best shot. It really helps me in many matches to get some free points.
Yeah, that's definitely the shot that I build my game on.

Q. The Ukraine is now the emergent tennis nation of the world, isn't it?
SERGEI BUBKA: Hopefully. (Smiling.) It will be great for or country if tennis becomes, pre and more popular, because after Andrei Medvedev for a few years it was really quiet. Now we have really good players, quite young players I would say. So the future for Ukraine men's tennis looks pretty good.

Q. Obviously with Dolgopolov, and Sergiy is getting good results as well. Why do you think it's happening now?
SERGEI BUBKA: To be honest, it's difficult to explain. I think maybe the competition between each other, because we're all quite good friends, we know each other since a long time. One does well, the other wants to show him that I'm as good as you. This sort of good competition helps us push each other to move up.

Q. Do you see a lot of them? Because you live in Monte-Carlo, so...
SERGEI BUBKA: Well, I live in Monte-Carlo, but since I started to be in the Davis Cup team a few years ago, I come back home to Ukraine a little bit more often. I see them there and I see them on tournaments. We get along well, everyone.
It's always nice to be at a tournament where you have other Ukrainians around.

Q. And for you, it appears from outside looking in that your focus was more on doubles play rather than singles a couple years ago; is that true?
SERGEI BUBKA: Not really. I was just playing a little bit better in doubles. I had trouble to produce the same results as in doubles in singles.
But, yeah, from last year I decided to focus basically mainly on singles. I didn't play a lot doubles in the last year. For sure...

Q. When did you make that decision?
SERGEI BUBKA: I would say from the beginning of the last year. Because also my ranking dropped, so often I had to play quallies the next week that I was playing. So to play doubles was kind of getting in the way.
I never wanted to be a doubles player. I always wanted to be a singles player. Yeah, I hope I can keep improving.

Q. A long time ago I saw a picture of your dad playing tennis. How does good is he, and do you still maybe hit with him sometimes?
SERGEI BUBKA: The last time I hit with him I don't even remember. But when I was younger I hit with him quite a few times. He's very busy. He doesn't even have time like to come and watch me play, so for sure we don't have time to play tennis with each other.
But when he has free time, he likes to play tennis, because he has a little bit problems with his knees after his career. To play sports like soccer, he cannot do it anymore. Tennis is a little bit easier on his knees. Definitely something that he finds interesting to do.

Q. Of course he was not a tennis player, but does he sometimes give you suggestions in general on sports?
SERGEI BUBKA: Yeah, all sports are quite common in some ways. So in terms of the professionalism, the preparation the fitness, he tries to give me advice. I try to listen. (Laughter.)

Q. Will you be giving him a call tonight and letting him know how it went?
SERGEI BUBKA: Yeah, for sure. We speak regularly. It's not best way to win, but he'll be happy that I'm through to the second round. He believes in me and really encourages me and is a great support.

Q. He is a world famous as a pole vaulter. Would you at some point like to see your name above his? Do you think that will ever happen?
SERGEI BUBKA: It's very difficult for it to happen, because he set bar really, really high, 6.15.
Yeah, but I definitely want to make a name for myself and be recognized for any achievements.

Q. Were you ever tempted to pick up pole vault as a kid?
SERGEI BUBKA: For some reason, no. Now I start to think I would probably have good genetics for it.
But, no, I really never wanted to be a pole vaulter. I always had a dream to be a tennis player since I tried it for the first time.

Q. Did your dad ever suggest tennis, or was that your thinking?
SERGEI BUBKA: It was -- my mom knew a tennis coach back in Donestk, Ukraine where we were born. She took me and my brother to try it, and that's how we started. It wasn't really my dad's idea.
But when he saw that we like it, he supported us and gave us the opportunity to pursue tennis.

Q. And then you worked with Bob a lot?
SERGEI BUBKA: Yeah.

Q. For how many years?
SERGEI BUBKA: Probably -- that started really long time ago. He started looking at us I think maybe ten, or twelve years old. Yeah, through to the end of the juniors he was following and helping me.
After I change coaches, a little bit didn't -- he didn't help me for a period of time. But now we're in touch quite often. I actually spoke to him today, this morning before my match.
Yeah, Bob was really great influence for my tennis career. When we were younger, with my brother he would give us books to read about Rod Laver, Harry Hopman, all the great players from before. So he really taught me what tennis is about and the history of tennis.

Q. What's your brother's name?
SERGEI BUBKA: Vitaly.

Q. Does he still play?
SERGEI BUBKA: No, he stopped after he finished high school. He went to university.

Q. Where do you think your game is right now, and where do you want it to be at the end of 2011?
SERGEI BUBKA: In terms of ranking?

Q. Not just ranking. Overall your game, how do you feel about your game?
SERGEI BUBKA: Well, I definitely feel that I'm improving, and I hope that this feeling, I will have this feeling every day this year. So I really look forward to this year as being my breakthrough year.
Like I said, last year I was injured. I had quite a big break, so I feel like this is a second start for me. I'm quite happy how this year has started. I'm just going to look forward to improve every shot of my game and to become a world-class player.

End of FastScripts

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