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LONDON 2012 OLYMPIC GAMESAugust 2, 2012Novak DjokovicLONDON, ENGLAND N. DJOKOVIC/J. Tsonga THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Must be pretty happy to have gotten past such a tough opponent in straight sets. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Absolutely. Very satisfied with my game today. I was very sharp, very aggressive from the start. I knew what I want to do. I was aware of his powerful serve and groundstrokes, his quality as a player, the history that he had here in Wimbledon. I needed to start off well. I did. Then I was growing in confidence. Q. When you were faced with very difficult, windy conditions like today, what do you plan to do? Do you try to hit through the wind or try and use it? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, it really depends on the ball that is coming to you from the other side. It's difficult. You know, you need to try to, first of all, stay low, stay in the balance. Then you have, let's say, more variety, more options that you can choose what to play, what kind of shots. As you can see, it was very windy. I think it was the windiest day I've played here in London in recent years. Obviously, you know, the court itself is different from Wimbledon. There's a lot of holes, a lack of grass, especially around baseline. But, you know, it's the same for both opponents. I'm really satisfied that I managed to find a way to play well. Q. Just saying about getting off to a quick start, how much of that was a follow on from the Hewitt match yesterday where things didn't start off as well as you would have wanted? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, yes, that's what I was saying. You know, Hewitt started off more aggressively against me. I was the one who was having to run, you know, in the first set. Today, you know, I knew that Tsonga needs a couple of games to get into the rhythm, couple of games to really start hitting the ball cleanly. That's where I was looking for my chance to make a crucial break from the start so I can be in an advantage, and that's what happened. Q. Looking ahead to the semifinals, you obviously played Andy plenty of times before. What about on grass, is that to his advantage? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, we both have been playing really well and making good results in Wimbledon in last five years. I don't think it goes to anybody's advantage. Definitely he's been playing well and he's going to have a big support from the crowd. That's something that is expected. He's been I think as close as ever to win his first Grand Slam trophy just a couple weeks ago. So he's motivated as much as I am to win that match. Q. Are you going to enjoy being the bad guy with all the fans rooting against you in that semifinal? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Am I going to enjoy to be a bad guy? Q. A villain for the English crowd. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, as I said, it's something that is expected. He's a home favorite, a hero, somebody that carries the tennis in Great Britain. You know, the whole nation will be watching and hoping he can get to the finals and win a medal for his country. This is absolutely normal. I will try to focus on every point, focus on my game. Obviously I will have to play on top of my game in order to have a chance to win. Q. Do you think having been part of a Davis Cup winning side as recently as you have helps you psychologically in these circumstances when there's so much different pressure on you representing your nation? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: It has, Davis Cup and many other big matches that I've played, especially against Rafa and Roger in recent years. I mean, they have been the most dominant players, most recognizable tennis players in last eight or ten years, that's for sure. They're very appreciated and very popular throughout the world, have a lot of fans. I mean, I was in these situations before, you know, especially in the Davis Cup, as you mentioned. More you have experiences, more you learn about it, and better you know how to behave and how to deal with the pressure. Q. I know you're focusing on the match, but how different is the atmosphere as opposed to when you come here normally? How much do you enjoy it? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: You know, it's quite different, definitely. Even though there is a certain feeling about being on Wimbledon, playing on Wimbledon courts, it's expected. But on the other hand, there are many colors, players are wearing the national colors, they are supported by many of their fellow athletes. A lot of tennis players stay in the Olympic Village. There is this Olympic buzz going around which is, you know, very appreciated from all the tennis players. We really enjoy it. Me personally, I like the fact that we're all staying in the same house. We support each other. We're all trying to fight for one goal, and that is to win a medal for our country. Q. Did you watch the Wimbledon final this year? If you did, what did you think of Andy's reaction at the end? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I haven't seen the end, but I've seen the mid part, I think second and third set. Well, he played really well. I think they played a great quality match. You know, Andy was very close. He played great throughout the whole tournament. He's been coming back even stronger I think on Olympic Games. He's been performing some impressive tennis. I'm sure that it's tough for him definitely that he has lost four Grand Slam finals. Even though, in my opinion, he deserved to win the last one. You know, he's somebody we gonna see definitely a lot in the future. Q. When you're representing Serbia, is it more inspiring for you to be playing in another country or foreign soil compared to playing at home, where maybe there might be even greater pressure, greater expectation on you? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, the pressure is always a part of the game. It's part of our profession, as well. We have to get used to it. We have to manage the pressure in a best possible way, try to use it in our advantage, if that's possible. You know, try to focus. Yeah, I love playing at home, as well. You know, I won the tournament couple of times back in Serbia. We won the Davis Cup at home. There is a great support, you know, when you're playing in front of 20,000 people. It's just a special feeling when you're representing your country. You know, you cannot experience that kind of cheer and support from your own people when you are actually playing on an individual event. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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