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ROGERS CUP MEN

August 9, 2011

Vasek Pospisil

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

V. POSPISIL/J. Chela
4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (No microphone.)
VASEK POSPISIL: Being down 4-2 obviously in the third set wasn't an easy situation, but I just kind of hung in there and waited for my opportunities and kind of went for my shots. So they went in luckily. So, yeah, pretty happy about it.

Q. Can I ask you what your earliest memories of Roger Federer are?
VASEK POSPISIL: Earliest memories? I must have been 12, 13 years old. I mean, he became my favorite player basically right when he won his first slam. Ever since then he's been my favorite player.
Pretty amazing experience tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. You were on the court against Nadal and Djokovic last year in a doubles match. You have been on the court with world-class players. Will that help settle your nerves or is Federer just still tough?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, every center court experience is good and I'm sure it helps for the next time for nerves and stuff. Obviously singles and doubles is quite different.
Yeah, at the same time I've been playing well lately. I mean, I'm just going to go out there and try to enjoy it and play a good match.

Q. At the beginning of the season your goal was to hit the top 200. I assume you revised your goals since then. Was there any turning point in this season, anytime you felt that things were going to go really well for you?
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, I started playing well right from the beginning. I mean, there hasn't been one certain turning point. I consider this maybe a turning point. We'll see.
But, yeah, goals changed obviously when I made top 200. I was thinking maybe I could go 150. When you set a goal and accomplish it, you go for higher goals, expectations rise a bit. Obviously they change all the time.

Q. What did you feel was the turning point in the match today?
VASEK POSPISIL: Today? I felt like I think early in the second set I kind of established my game plan better. In the first set I was kind of just going with the flow, didn't really have a game plan that I was following. Then I kind of made adjustments in the second set and really knew what I was supposed to be doing there. I think that got me the win today.

Q. That included starting to use the slice backhand?
VASEK POSPISIL: The slice backhand, mixing the pace. My targets weren't too good on my approach shots early and I made an adjustment and it paid off.

Q. A trivia question regarding Federer. Do you know how many slams he's won?
VASEK POSPISIL: 16 (smiling).

Q. Do you think it's going to be hard?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, he's the greatest player of all time. Never going to be easy when you're playing the best player of all time.
But, I mean, I'm just looking forward to it. I'm happy with today's win. I'll start thinking about tomorrow's match more. Right now I'm trying to enjoy it and really looking forward to it.

Q. Your coach knows him well?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, Fred knows him well. He'll tell me a few things. We'll see tomorrow.

Q. Have you ever met him?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah. I actually hit with him. I warmed him up for his semifinal at the Australian Open in 2007, I think, 2008. So, yeah. I've hit with him before, but a few years back.

Q. One technical point about the match. What you were thinking when you got called for a foot-fault in the deciding game?
VASEK POSPISIL: I mean, I just kind of ignored it. I just kind of went back and hit a second serve. Nothing really going through my mind on that. I just wanted to make sure I didn't do it again.

Q. I was going to ask you about the cramping that seemed to be bothering you.
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, I mean, I haven't cramped for years. I've played longer matches than that, more physical matches. I don't know if that was maybe more nerves or what.
But, yeah, as soon as the match finished, I've been fine. I haven't felt anything. I think it was just maybe more mental, maybe nerves, I don't know what. But I got through it, was able to keep my calm and keep my cool, come back, so it's good.

Q. Left thigh or in the calf?
VASEK POSPISIL: It was my left thigh on the serve, then a little bit my right quad after a bit. But, I mean, as you could see, I was able to play through it, so it wasn't too bad.

Q. What about his serve? You seemed to be having trouble with it in the first set.
VASEK POSPISIL: I was having trouble with it. It comes really low. Not necessarily too fast. But I think I made an adjustment. I went lower, tried to stay lower. Obviously I'm used to serves jumping up a little bit more. I wasn't able to make an adjustment early in the set. I feel like I usually return pretty well. But today I was struggling for sure early on. But I was able to adjust and start making some returns when I needed them.

Q. Between stretching out your leg for the cramps and trying to finish that match, were you able to enjoy how much you had the crowd with you?
VASEK POSPISIL: No, for sure. The crowd was huge today. They really pulled me through. I mean, I was just enjoying every minute of it, to be honest. But still wanted to come up with the win. I would have been really disappointed if I'd lost. So I'm happy I'm sitting here as the winner.

Q. Is this the kind of match that a couple years ago when things got tough physically that maybe you would have not hung in there as well as you did today?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, for sure. I mean, also just the confidence that I've gained over the past six months. I've had some good wins. I'm believing in myself a lot more than I have in the past. So I think that was a big issue also, big key I think. So just maybe in the past I would have not really believed I would come back, whereas today I was trying to stay with the process, work point by point.
I've done a lot of physical work, too, over the years, the last year and stuff. You know, I was a little bit surprised, to be honest, to be struggling a bit in the end there. But, yeah, like I said, I was able to come through, so happy about that.

Q. Chela is ranked top 30 in the world right now. How would you compare his game versus some of the lower-ranked players you see on the challenger tour on a regular basis?
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, he's obviously very good. He's top 30. There's little things that they do better I guess than the challenger players. At the same time, he's still human. He still makes mistakes. It's not like a huge difference - I feel anyways - between the top challenger level and here.
But obviously maybe the top ten is a little different. But, you know, I just feel like I can play with a lot of these guys right now.

Q. What was the one thing that struck you most about Roger in Australia?
VASEK POSPISIL: Just how amazingly like easygoing he is. He's No. 1 in the world, won so many slams. He was treating me like I was one of them. I was just like a junior, hadn't really accomplished much at the time. So I was just really impressed with that, how humble he was.
Yeah, I'll never forget that experience.

Q. Did you have any family or friends in the crowd today?
VASEK POSPISIL: No. Unfortunately, none of my family. I had a few friends, but my family weren't able to make the trip this time. Yeah, maybe they'll come tomorrow. I don't know.

Q. What have you learned from playing against some of the more veteran players on tour now?
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, they don't give you anything. They don't give you anything for free. You have to really, really fight for your wins and for your points. You just have to stay concentrated. You can't have any mental lapses or they'll get you. Yeah, just that I think is a big difference.

Q. On your confidence point, when you're in a tough third set like that, is there anything specific you're drawing on, your Davis Cup experience, your run in Vancouver?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, well, I've won a lot of tough matches lately. Just overall gaining confidence knowing that you can come back and win three-setters, I think that for sure helped me today. Of course, the Davis Cup.
But, I mean, you pick up experience throughout the year. For me the biggest thing is the confidence I think for sure today. That made the difference.

Q. When you talk about your goals changing, part of that means that your schedule changes as you move up the rankings. Something like the US Open, will that be on your radar screen after this is done?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, I'm going to the US Open for sure, quallies. That was always the plan. I'm still going there. So, yeah, no changes within the next month or two coming up.

Q. But with more confidence than you might have had perhaps a little while back, having registered a win like this one?
VASEK POSPISIL: Right, yeah, yeah, for sure. Maybe I won't even be too far from being seeded maybe in quallies. Yeah, but for sure, wins like this, they help you in every aspect of the game I guess. I'm looking forward to it.

Q. With respect to looking ahead to the draw, knowing that Federer was there, did that creep into the back of your mind?
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, if anything, it helped me, to be honest. A little bit extra motivation. As if I need more motivation to win here...
But, you know, because he's been an idol since I was a little kid, I felt like I had a good chance to win today, so I really wanted to come through. So I was able to dig deep. With that for sure in the back of my mind, it probably helped me.
THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You grew up with Federer as your idol. Why Federer more than Nadal? How many Masters 1000s has Nadal won?
VASEK POSPISIL: Nadal? 19.

Q. Good. But why Federer?
VASEK POSPISIL: Because he was No. 1 when I was 12 years old and I like the way he plays and I like him as a person.

Q. You have a lipstick mark on your cheek. Who was she and what did she say?
VASEK POSPISIL: I was often told when I play that I have rosy cheeks. I had that since I was a kid.

Q. What does a win like this mean for you?
VASEK POSPISIL: With all the hard work I've been doing this year, it is extremely pleasing. I'm happy I won here. It was a fabulous experience.

Q. What do you have to say about your next match against Federer?
VASEK POSPISIL: Of course, it will be tough. But I will try my best. I would like to make it difficult for him.

Q. Your coach already brought good players to a very high level. What does he bring to you?
VASEK POSPISIL: We work together on many things. He teaches me how to use my legs more and tactically he tells me where I have to play in given circumstances and also he trusts me, which makes me more confident in myself. He's a very good coach and I'm happy to work with him.

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