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WIMBLEDONJuly 3, 2012Philipp KohlschreiberLONDON, ENGLAND P. KOHLSCHREIBER/B. Baker THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Quarterfinal for the first time. Your thoughts? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Of course I'm very, very happy. It's very tough to describe the real feelings. If I see the match, I'm very happy how I played. Also lucky now at the end with the weather that I could finish my match. Yeah, it's just an amazing feeling. I was very concentrate. I think after doing all the press I really get the second time good emotions. For sure I will celebrate. Q. Because of the weather you're not sure who you're going to face in the quarterfinal. If it were Tsonga, you have a 1‑5 record against him; what sort of game do you expect from him? Where do you think you can beat him? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Well, I mean, in this stage of course I just really like to enjoy also today. I try to enjoy the match. It's the best result in Wimbledon even before the match, best result in my career. So I have really nothing to lose. It's just a pleasure to be that long in a Grand Slam. Well, I mean, we played twice this year. Of course, he's a really great player. He's a big server, he has huge forehand, so that's going to be of course tough to do something. But I try, you know, to keep him a little bit moving around, playing more to the backhand. So far I'm also serving well. You know, it's grass. It could be everything. I need some lucky returns maybe to put in. I will see. I feel really great. For sure I have a lot of confidence now. I like the courts. It's just the matter that I really enjoy and do my best, and then I will see what will come. Q. You played Tsonga twice this year, but you haven't played Mardy Fish since 2005. What would you make of that matchup? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: I didn't know that I played him actually. Q. You beat him. PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Really? Normally the player will always remember his victories, I thought. He had some problems in the past and he didn't play that much. I think so far his performance has been pretty good. He's tough to play, I would say. He's also having a huge serve. He likes to have the ball a little bit low. He's going to the net. He's very aggressive, so you need to be very, yeah, active, go through the balls. For sure he's giving you a lot of tough shots. He comes into the net, so you need to make the passing shot. I think both players, they are the favorite in the match. Basically, like I said, I just want to enjoy. Doesn't matter who comes. Q. You probably had the more consistent year of your career. Do you have an explanation? Did you change anything in your preparation to be so consistent? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: You know, the last year wasn't the easiest one. I think it was my worst year. Yeah, it's not a good feeling to lose more times than before. So I thought I'm having a really good preparation. I practice very hard. But it's nothing what I really changed in big steps. Was only small steps. But I think that's the key. Last year I was frustrated a little bit more. I wanted to change really badly because the feeling to lose is not nice, so I wanted to go back to the top level. Yeah, I just practice harder maybe. Q. Harder than before? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Yeah, harder than before. Q. With such a good Wimbledon for German tennis ‑ it's not just the girls ‑ how do you feel about the German success? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Well, obviously it's really great for all of us. Normally the women are more in the press. They're having the better results. So we're very happy that we say at least come closer to them. But it's nice. You know, maybe they pushed us in the past. They had such a great success. Of course, now we're very happy that we have two players in the quarterfinals. I think it's a long time that it ever happened, I think. It's very nice. But I hope that at least one will go to the semifinal. It would be of course really great. Q. Obviously great performance today. Can you tell me what your assessment is of Baker and his play? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: For him you mean? Q. Yes. PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Well, I think he played pretty good. I think we both play a little bit the same. Nobody has like the huge stroke, but very solid everything. He played‑‑ I would say, he tried to play aggressive. That's also what I like to do if the ball is in the play. Yeah, it's tough. I mean, we only play three weeks on grass. But I would say he has a really good game for the faster surface. Also on hard court in the U.S. tour for sure he will do great success. He was very focused. I think he's really happy to play now on this level. Yeah, I wish him all the luck. He's a good guy on the court. Q. He was away for so long because of injury. The game has improved incredibly since he was gone. Are you surprised he's been able to get to this level even though he hasn't been playing? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Well, I don't know him so well. I just heard that he was a very good junior. So I think he has this kind of instinct and the game plan. I think that's why he will continue to play on this level. Q. What is your approach to pressure? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER:  I don't feel any kind of pressure because now I did everything what I could do. I always was the favorite, I would say, from the ranking and everything. It's a different pressure, but I think I handle it pretty good. I won now all my matches in three sets, so I think I was very stable. Well now, like I said, I'm really enjoying. Now the other guy has to win. Yeah, I only play what I can do that day. If it's enough, I go and see you one more time here. Q. Why do you think your game is so good on grass technically, if you have an explanation? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: It's tough to find anything. But you said before, I'm having a very good season. I was very consistent. I played, yeah, last 16 in Melbourne. I played some semifinals on hard court. I won a tournament on clay. I'm hitting the ball pretty good. I'm feeling good. That's what also my coach, we think that I'm really hitting the ball very clean. So I have a really good timing. Obviously that's very important on grass. So far I'm serving also well. You know, that's two little things, but I was also, yeah, very mentally strong in these games now. A lot of confidence. I played also very good in Halle, even when I lost in the semis. So I'm really hanging in in every match. Q. I believe you're on the German Olympic team. How did it happen? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Yeah, we have high standards. Actually, I think tomorrow will be the final decision, what I heard. But we got almost confirmed. But I have no idea. I'm not thinking about the Olympic Games right now because it's not any more in my hands. I always said I want to play. Obviously I'm also, yeah, putting more pressure on them because I'm doing pretty well here now. Q. Can you describe the emotional aspect of this for you of getting to this quarterfinal? PHILIPP KOHLSCHREIBER: Actually, I have to say today I never was really nervous. Even when the last game was really hard, he was returning well, I was Love‑30, he had breakpoint, I never felt really nervous. I think you could see that after the match point was over, I was, yeah, yelling, screaming. That's the kind of thing I do. And for sure when I go back to the hotel, I will for sure, yeah, celebrate somehow more. You know, it's always dangerous if you celebrate or the emotions going too much because the tournament is not over. It's still a couple of more matches. That's the dream maybe everybody has. So I'm trying to see the success, but then I have to switch again for tomorrow's match. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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