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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS MENFebruary 26, 2013Michael LlordaDUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES M. LLODRA/J. Tsonga THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. Just talk about the match and beating Tsonga for the first time. MICHAEL LLODRA: It's never easy to play against a French player. You know, I never beat him. Today I knew it can happen. He won last week. It was tough for him to arrive there, and it's never easy to change, you know, the courts. It was fast last week. Here it's fast, but it's different. It's outdoor. We play during the night. It was tough because I didn't start well. And finally I play my ‑‑played solid. I tried to mix it up a little bit more. Usually against him I try to do too much serve and volley, and after he try to return well. Today I tried to play different. But he doesn't change anything. I try to put a lot of pressure on his serve and to do , be very aggressive during the game. Q. Psychologically how difficult is it to go up and play someone that you know well and you have never beaten him in six attempts? MICHAEL LLODRA: It's always a tough match against Jo. We play six times against each other. It's always tough. Today I didn't start well. Finally some bad calls, and I play very well, you know, the tiebreak. I knew I have to be good. Beginning of the second set, I break him early, and after, it was just to be focused on my serve, serving him, and it was nice. But, you know, it's never easy, you know. We spent a lot of time last year, especially in the Olympic Games, it was a great memories for us. It's special, you know, to beat him. It's nice. Q. You were saying ‑‑ you know, in those six times, what do you think was different ‑‑ you were talking obviously he arrived late and everything, but was there something about either your game or his game that made the difference today? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, some matches I lost because I tried to go too much on his backhand, you know. Sometimes at the end he make a good passing shot. So I tried to mix it up a little bit more with my slice. Sometimes plays flat. And just to change, you know, his mind, it's never easy, you know. My best serve, it's lefty serve. I try to go more on the T, even if his forehand is dangerous. So sometimes you have to go different in your mind, and today I tried this and it worked. So it's good. Q. Can you explain in the first set ‑‑ he was talking about a point that... MICHAEL LLODRA: It was 4‑3 for him serving and 40‑30. He make a good serve. I tried to return. The umpire said, Out. The ball was good. Normally it's going to be 5‑3. But the umpire make wrong and he said, Replay the point. He made double faults. I make good return and one more double fault. So maybe it was the key, first set. You know, mentally, you know, sometime it's never easy. Every day you have to do your best, and sometimes it's difficult. So I think today I tried to play my match first point until the end and forget the umpire, forget Jo, and just focus. Q. Your game perhaps ‑‑ Novak has been in and said this is one of the fastest courts outdoors on the tour. Perhaps your game, you know, serve, volleying, isn't ideally suited to this type of surface. MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, I believe it's a fast court. But last four years I play Jo here three years ago, Djokovic two years ago and last year Federer. Q. Easy draws? (Laughter.) MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, easy draw. And Tsonga. (Laughter.) So I don't know if I'm good here and on fast court, but is good finally to win one match there. Of course, it's fast. I think it's faster during the day. But, I mean, I can see maybe tomorrow, you know, how fast it is, you know. When you play only one match player, it's tough to realize. (Laughter.) FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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