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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 16, 2011

Juan Martin Del Potro

CINCINNATI, OHIO

R. FEDERER/J. Del Potro
6-3, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you compare how you played tonight versus playing against Roger in the '09 US Open final? Did you play worse tonight? Did he play better? Compare and contrast those two matches.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I think we can't compare the 2009 match and this one. I feel well tonight, but Roger played like No. 1 in the world. He was very confident with his serve, and it's very important against top players like him.
Also I feel like playing when we play in the semifinals in the French Open, he play unbelievable and he beat me in fifth set. I think he play like that match.
I wish the best for this tournament, and for the Open, too.

Q. Couple of early losses last week and in this tournament. You feel that you have enough match play heading into the Open? What's your game plan between now and New York?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I'm okay. I have a week off next week. I will try to train hard to be 100% for the Open or to be as soon I can for the Open.
I love this tournament. I want to be there. I want to just play the US Open this year, and then I will have time to take a rest, to think about this season, and to fix all my physical problems.

Q. How are you physically now compared to where you expect to be?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: I'm much better than I expected. I'm not have any pain, any dangerous pains. My wrist is okay. I can play in every surface. I change from clay to grass and then grass to here in a very short time.
It's not easy for this year, but I'm very close to my best tournament, to the most important tournament for me, and I will be ready for fight in New York.

Q. Did you feel like you had to play perfectly to win? You mentioned he played like No. 1. Your first serve percentage was down a little bit from normal.
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Yeah, if you look of the match, was just two breaks and that's it. My break point in the second set, and then I missed the return. When he has the opportunity, he made a winner.
So that's the difference between top players and the rest. Next time if I have chance, I have to be more confident with my forehand, backhand, and try to go for the winners.

Q. Being from South America, you're on the road the whole year, with the exception of some small tournaments, some 250s in February. Do you think it's time for a 500 or even 1000 for the continent of South America? How could this happen?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: We have a 500 in Mexico, in Acapulco. Yeah, it's not easy for South America. We don't have the money like Europe or United States. But we of course want to have very important tournaments in South America and Argentina, too.
Some people have to do that, not the players.

Q. Even though you can't really compare the Open versus tonight, thinking just of those two matches, can you point to anything you did exceptionally well in the Open final that you couldn't do tonight?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, in the final I was 6-3 down and 3-1 down, and today was 6-3 and I had the chance to play the tiebreak, but he broke my serve in 5-All.
I think that was similar than the final. But he's playing really, really well. I'm trying to play in good level. It's not easy play against these kind of players after a year out of competition.
But I'm trying to do my best, and I'm feeling better day by day. I have to work very, very hard for the rest of the season, and for the next one, too.

Q. You got a great response from the crowd in Los Angeles and here. How does that make you feel after being out for a year to know that you still have so many fans here in the United States?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO: Well, they make me feel too much happy, you know. I miss the fans. I miss the sport when I was out with my wrist problem. They still like my game, my personality, and it's very important for the confidence and for the life, too.
I just want to be in New York playing the US Open, see the crowd full, see the Argentinian fans come to see the South American players, and the American fans, too.
I just want to enjoy that, because last year it was so sad when the Open was playing.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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