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WIMBLEDON

June 27, 2011

Xavier Malisse

LONDON, ENGLAND

B. TOMIC/X. Malisse
6-1, 7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Could you just talk about how hard it was to solve his serve today.
XAVIER MALISSE: Well, I think it's not so much looking at him. He played well. His serve is a big weapon because he's a big, tall guy on grass.
But it's just I didn't have my day. I made too many mistakes, didn't put any returns in play, even on second serves. If an opponent sees that he picks up on it. He was playing without complexes, just hitting shots even on break points.
Even when I had break points he served big. He hit an ace also, so it's a big weapon to have. He deserves it.

Q. So you felt as if he was just playing freely, as if he had nothing at all to lose?
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, he was just going for shots. Even on break points he was just ripping winners down the line. I think it's just easier for him, because I didn't -- made so many mistakes and didn't play well, didn't put length on my shots.
So he's playing well. He's in huge confidence right now. For me, he has a really good grass-court game because he doesn't give much pace. Just hits lower shots and serves well. It's not like he had to play his best tennis because I was making too many mistakes.

Q. With the atmosphere there, did you at times feel as if you were back at the Australian Open and not Wimbledon?
XAVIER MALISSE: No, they were okay. Sometimes some people say stuff, but through the years you get used to it. No, it's okay. I'm just playing my match and didn't really listen to much on the outside.

Q. Can you just talk about the atmosphere. That's a hard court atmosphere-wise anyway.
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, a lot of noise also from the side, the other courts and stuff. But it's a nice court. For me it's not been the best court in the history for my matches.
But, yeah, didn't bother too much. It's a nice setup, I think, with the people behind, but there is a lot more noise than the other courts.

Q. Is he playing with, I guess, almost a youthful sort of freedom at times?
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, I think so, but I let him get in the match. I played a bad first set, so that boosted his confidence up, too.
When you see an opponent is playing bad and just making a lot of mistakes, you pick up on that and you just don't have to do too much.
Then I did play a little better, hit my shots, and then on break points he's just ripping winners. So then that's just the same thing. It goes wide and it's a different match, or he doesn't hit an ace on break point and I can get back in the third set.
But, yeah, he's playing freely and he's playing really well.

Q. How far do you think he can go, and what sort of caliber player do you think he can really trouble at this tournament?
XAVIER MALISSE: Well, I assume be tough if he plays Djokovic. I don't know if he won.

Q. He plays later.
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, so even against Llodra it's a totally different type of game that I play. He probably likes playing against me because I don't come to the net too much or attack.
If he plays Djokovic it will be tough. That will be for sure. If he can play free again and not think too much, I think why not? But it'll be very tough.

Q. Were you complaining about your string tension in that match?
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, it was way off. I've been playing good with one tension, and I asked for the same tension. I got four racquets this morning that were all off tension, so I had to give them back.
I was waiting on other racquets during the match, and they were bad again. I had one good one at 4-3 in the third which obviously didn't help much either.
Yeah, I'm not going to look for any excuses. It's just the way it was. It's just a bad timing, I guess.

Q. So they were actually delivering you racquets during the match?
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, yeah, because before the match they were not the tension I was playing with this week. Yeah, I was just waiting.

Q. Do you feel like this is a harder loss to take because it feels like a real opportunity that maybe you gave away?
XAVIER MALISSE: Yeah, sure. I mean, it's not like I gave it away. He played well and I had a bad day. I didn't do it on purpose to play bad.
But, yeah, it is a big opportunity. I know that. But I knew it was going to be the toughest match of the tournament. I said it before. I knew it was coming. I just didn't play well and he did.

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