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WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2011

Feliciano Lopez

LONDON, ENGLAND

F. LOPEZ/A. Roddick
7-6, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Where does that rank among your best performances in Grand Slams?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Which is my best performance in a Grand Slam?

Q. Where does it rank in your performances, do you think?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Well, it's definitely great win for me. I beat couple great players in Wimbledon in the last 10 years. But to beat Andy in this court is very special, of course. I would say maybe the best probably.

Q. I think you had 57 winners and 7 unforced errors. Those stats are almost unbelievable really.
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah, it's unbelievable. When I came back in the locker room, my coaches told me. I was surprised that I didn't miss anything almost.
So it's definitely a great win. I mean, I play solid all three sets. When you play Andy Roddick here, you never expect to win two straight tiebreaks against him. So I'm really happy with my performance.

Q. What do you make of the pace of the court, the speed of the court? Do you think it lets you play your game pretty well?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Well, I think the grass, it was always my best surface, no? And, of course, for my game is probably the best court I can play. But I wish it can be a little bit faster.
But this is the court we have. And, of course, I can do my game. I think so.

Q. Why do you think you beat Andy so convincingly, given his reputation as such a fighter?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: I think everything was working perfectly. I mean, I was serving for the set in the first. I did a couple mistakes there. And then I play a great tiebreak. So it was very important for me to win the first set.
Always when you play a best-of-five match, to win the first set is very important. Then I play great the second set and I play fantastic the third, even better than the second set.
So I think overall I play unbelievable match.

Q. What surprised you about Andy's game today?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: I know Andy a lot. I mean, he beat me seven or eight times before today. So I knew I had to be aggressive. I knew I have to come in, to attack, basically to do my game in the best way as I can do it.

Q. Was his serving like the Andy Roddick serving that you're used to seeing?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: He's serving great. He hit 24 or 25 aces, I think. So I think in three sets it's a great performance also.

Q. Was your record against Andy beginning to irritate you, the fact you couldn't beat him?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Yeah. Of course, you think so. And before going on the court. But we played recently in Queen's, and I played great match. I lost it, but I played great. I mean, I was up a break in the third.
So I knew if I played the same way I played in Queen's, I would have my chances. But once you have your chances, you have to take them, and this is what happened today basically.

Q. Do you think if today Rafa beats Gilles on No. 1 court, you've beaten a three-time finalist here, do you think in Spain there will be more coverage for Rafa's win or for yours?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: I mean, if you compare Rafa's performance here, it's gonna be more important my win definitely. But Rafa is a big star, so everything he does, everybody follows.
But, of course, if he beats Muller, for him is not going to be as important as is for me to beat Roddick today. I think so.

Q. When you look at your game and you look at Rafa's game, your game looks immediately more suited to grass. Has Rafa's success actually motivated you in the last two or three years to really sort of try?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Well, Rafa is a lot younger than I am. When I was playing Wimbledon, he was 10 or 12 years old, so... I was the first Spanish to reach the quarters after 35 or 36 years.
And then Rafa came here and won the title and he has been the most successful Spanish player here in Wimbledon by far.
But before Rafa came on the tour, I was already playing good on grass. I was already loving playing here in Wimbledon.

Q. Have you ever served better?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: I don't know. Probably in Queen's. I hit 35 in three sets. But was not enough (smiling).

Q. You said Rafa has had more success than you here. Who has more female fans here, you or him?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Him, definitely.

Q. Why do you say that?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Because I telling you the truth. I trying to be honest.

Q. Do you realize your nickname here is actually Deliciano. What do you say to that nickname?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: It's coming from Andy's mother. She's so funny. It's just something that everybody knows now because somebody post it on Twitter.

Q. Do you like that nickname?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: I have to like it. It's kind of funny. I mean, it's okay.

Q. Do you get a lot of attention from female fans when you're walking around?
FELICIANO LOPEZ: Not really. Like another place, I think.

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