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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 1, 2011

Mardy Fish

MIAMI, FLORIDA

N. DJOKOVIC/M. Fish
6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously I know you're disappointed. Just seems like he's playing so great right now. You have to be almost perfect to beat him. Talk about the key breakpoints in the first set, 15-40, swing volley.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I mean, those were huge points. It was extremely disappointing. I mean, to be honest, I thought I played well. I mean, you look up, I'm down 6-3, 5-1, you look at the total points won and he's only won like eight more points and I'm down 6 -- 3, 5-1. That kind of tells you that I didn't win any of the big points. None of them.
I had maybe six or seven breakpoints in the first set. You know, he served a couple of them away which were too good, and you walk to the other side. But I left a lot shots out there today. That's what's disappointing.

Q. Do you feel like the rain might have stalled you a little bit? You seemed to be even with him.
MARDY FISH: Sure, yeah. I mean, look, I had some breakpoints there 15-40 there at 1-All, and he served two aces on the outside part of line there, and, you know, you walk to the other side. That's too good.
Then I felt good. I felt like I had a nice sort of plan of attack and was executing relatively well, you know, and did so for, you know, the better part of the first set except for just a couple shots really. I played those points well.
I mean, I played those two 5-3 15-40 and 30-40, I played those points a well as I could, I just couldn't execute.

Q. At one point you shook your head. You had two amazing inside out forehands to his backhand and he got them back.
MARDY FISH: Yeah, hit those on the outside part of the line. Yeah, he's moving better than anyone right now, no doubt about it, on a hardcourt.
It's his playground right now, I guess.

Q. You talk about he's moving better than anyone. In February in Dubai, Feliciano Lopez said he's the fastest mover in men's tennis, quicker than Nadal and Murray.
MARDY FISH: Yeah. I think Rafa moves better on a clay court. Be interesting to see Novak's results there. But certainly be hard pressed to find somebody that's moving better and more confidently than him right now on hardcourts.

Q. How amazing is it? Are guys in the locker room talking? I mean, here it is April 1st and he hasn't lost a match. He hasn't even lost a game.
MARDY FISH: He's not losing games. He's crushing us. You know, he's as confident -- he doesn't give you much out there at all. When he does, he seems to erase it pretty well.
You know, the matches are so long you're bound to lose focus here and lost focus there for a point here or a point there. Sometimes for guys it's games, for him it's maybe a point or two at the most right now. He zones in pretty well.
But, you know, so it's a confidence thing for sure.

Q. How would you scout tonight's match, and what do you think? Can someone beat Novak on Sunday do you think?
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I think those guys are at another level probably than myself. Maybe not probably. You know, those guys have played in matches like this before all the time.
When we went out there after the rain, the conditions can't be any better. I'm not sure how they'll be tomorrow. To be honest, I'm not sure who that favors either.
So certainly both guys can beat him. You know, they came close in Indian Wells. Was it three sets, both semis and finals? Look, you have to favor the guy. I mean, he's got to lose sometime. I don't know. Maybe.

Q. What do you take from this tournament? Obviously didn't go your way today unfortunately, but obviously you're the highest-ranking American...
MARDY FISH: Yeah, I take a lot. Look, throughout my career -- feel like a different person and player now, but throughout my career I've had good results, went away for times.
By the time I had my head on straight again, you know, you got the pressure of trying to defend the same thing coming around 12 months later. So it's nice to have some results spread out. Consistency is a huge thing out here. That's what it takes to the get to the top 10.
They told me I will be 11 after this week. Obviously that's pretty close, so I'll take a lot positives. You know, I wasn't healthy in Indian Wells, so it feels nice to be healthy and to play at the level that I would love to play at.

Q. Where will you start your clay court season?
MARDY FISH: I start in Houston.

Q. Are you going to try harder than the previous years in clay court because of the rankings, you want to be top 10?
MARDY FISH: Look, I've always tried hard. Hard is sort of a different hard for me now. Hard, what I used to be back then was different than my hard now.
So, yeah, it'll be different. I feel like I can play well on clay, and it's nice to be seeded in some of those events now where I don't have to play somebody in the first round or two, and, you know, I can get some points hopefully and make my way up.

Q. You often credited your wife for getting you on a new diet. I was looking for research on you, and I know that a couple years ago when you got married you were in this Jewish ceremony and you broke the wine glass. Were you thinking of converting to Judaism or raising your children as Jews?
MARDY FISH: I think isn't it whatever the wife is? I don't know. We're a ways away. She's probably going to win that argument anyway. Hopefully they'll be both.

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