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WIMBLEDONJune 29, 2012Julien BenneteauLONDON, ENGLAND R. FEDERER/J. Benetteau THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What were the physical issues you were dealing with in the fifth set and what kind of effect did they have? JULIEN BENNETEAU: I was cramping on my quads, so it was tough for me to serve and also to have a strong support to hit the ball well. It was just that. Q. Did you hurt your wrist when you fell in the third set? JULIEN BENNETEAU: No, I didn't hurt myself, but this fall, it was tough for me, because after this I was a little bit shaky for one, two, three games. I was not in my good... Q. Feeling? JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, my good feeling. But this fall for me was important in the negative way. Q. About five or six times you were two points away from winning. Did you let it get away from you, or did Federer play well on those points? JULIEN BENNETEAU: He played well. Maybe in the tiebreak at 6‑All I have a good first serve, but he return. Maybe I should have play a volley, a forehand volley, but it's the only return he made like this during the match. When he was returning in chip it was shorter, or he tried to return in lift, but it was not as good as this one. Even if it was slow one, it was long, and it was tough after for me to take the control of the rally. Q. How did you feel about playing under the roof and how that affected things? JULIEN BENNETEAU: It was perfect. Perfect conditions. Q. You like the indoor... JULIEN BENNETEAU: It was beautiful court, no wind. It was a little bit hot‑ not hot, but humid. The best player of all time in front of me. It was perfect. Q. Tough luck. You just said Roger's the best player of all time. Roger Federer is Roger Federer, but can you try and put into words what he showed us tonight, why he was so tough? JULIEN BENNETEAU: Mentally he's a rock, you know. He's two sets down and he doesn't show anything. After that, if your level is a little bit lower, right here, right now he takes the opportunity. At the beginning of the third set I was a little bit not as good as I was during the first two sets, and in five minutes it's 4‑0. He has a capacity also to improve his game during the match. He was more aggressive right after I serve the first shot of the rally, he tried to hit the ball stronger and to be more aggressive, and you feel it when you are on the opposite side. So you have to be focused every point, every point against him. You cannot make any mistakes. If you don't make the right shot tactically at the right place, you lose the point almost. So it's tough. And, yeah, like I said, two sets down and he's a champion. He arrive to win this match in five sets, and he was not in control. I think he was a little bit not panicked, but not comfortable, I will say. But at the end of the day he's here; he doesn't make any mistakes. At the end of the fourth set his serve was incredible. Only first serve, only first serve, only first serve. He didn't make a lot of mistakes. Q. So it's an incredible pressure? JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, it is. Q. Were you surprised how well you were controlling the rallies? Especially earlier on it seemed you were the greatest player in the world, not Roger, the way you were dominating a lot of rallies. JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yeah, I hit the ball very well today and I was in good shape. I knew that if I wanted to have one chance to win, I should take the control of the rally and to be aggressive and not to let him play and to direct the rally with his forehand. It was good, yes. Q. Was it one of the best performances you've played? JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yes. Probably, yeah. Q. What does it take for you to compete at this level consistently on a day in, day out, for the rest of the season to this high level you've shown this evening? JULIEN BENNETEAU: I don't know, but for sure this is a match to work after that. Also to play in a match like this you improve your game. After a match like that, you're a better player, for sure. So even if I lost today, I think it's going to be positive for me for the rest of the season and also for my career. Q. You've just come off the court. It's hard, but years from now when you're telling your son about the match on Centre Court at Wimbledon in 2012, what would you say to him? JULIEN BENNETEAU: I will say, you can be proud of your dad. (Smiling) I think. No, it was a magic moment, for sure. It's tough, but... Q. Did you watch the match last night? Did your mind go back... JULIEN BENNETEAU: Not during the match, but yesterday night, yeah. Q. But during the match, you had ideas it could be... JULIEN BENNETEAU: Yes, at the beginning of the fifth I said, Okay, already it wastwo sets. I thought at the beginning of the fifth, but just like one second. But yesterday night, for sure. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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