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CHINA OPENOctober 1, 2013Novak DjokovicBEIJING, CHINA N. DJOKOVIC/L. Rosol MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. You came out well this afternoon, allowing Rosol to win just 11 points in the first set. Can you talk about how you were feeling before the match. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Just normal. You know, preparing for the match like any other. Of course, I didn't want to underestimate my opponent knowing that he had few big wins in his career and he has a big serve. So I needed to be very fresh from the start and try to bring that intensity, positive intensity to the court, and that's what happened. Q. You won nine games in a row, and the other day Li Na won ten games in a row in her match. So we still have a competition here? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: (Smiling.) No, but if we both go all the way through the tournament like that, I will be happy. (Smiling.) Q. In a recent interview, you said that you believe Chinese fans belong to the most committed and enthusiastic fans. How does it carry your performance on the court? You seem to feel very comfortable here. How many titles in a row do you think you can get here? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I cannot predict what's going to happen in the future, but I can hope and prepare for the best. So far I have the perfect record on this court and this tournament. I been saying it before and I'll say it again: I really feel special in China in relation to the fans, because I don't get to see that often ‑ actually maybe nowhere. You know, the fans basically wait for you every single day and night in the hotel. There are ten or fifteen people always coming to make photographs with you, give you presents, and ask to spend just little bit of time with you. For me, that's an incredible gesture of appreciation. I respect that. I thank them for their support. Q. We have so many Chinese characters. Why do you chose smile this year? Because smiling is so important to you? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah. I think yes. I chose it because it's not that difficult to remember. You know, you have much more complex characters than that one. Q. From the first time you took part in China Open, what kind of changes and developments does the China Open have in your opinion? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: What kind of develops does this tournament have from the first time I arrived here? Q. Yes. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I see a whole new stadium, for example. And of course I think the organization is improving as the years go by. I think that as everything in life, it's evolving. People always learn something new in terms of this sport, in terms of the way the tournament should be organized. I think the fact that China Open is for many years already voted from the players as one of the best tournaments in the world after Grand Slams is saying enough about positive results that all the people who are contributing to the organization of that event bring. Q. Novak, I want to know if you think it's possible for an Asian player slightly built to be dominant in men's tennis given way power is such a big part of men's today? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: If an Asian player can be dominant in the men's tennis? Q. Yeah. NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, domination is a very strong word, so I think that being dominant in this sport is I think the ultimate goal, and something that's very difficult to achieve. First we have to see Asian players more coming towards the top of men's tennis. We still don't have any Asian player in top 20. Sorry, we have Nishikori, right? He's top 20 now. So we have one, you know, and not many coming up. So I think there has to be first of all, well, I guess kind of a system that can support this sport in this part of the world. With bigger support and awareness about tennis, I think you can expect better results. I think domination is, as I said, something that is not realistic for Asian players at this moment because they haven't had any big success on Grand Slams. In next five years I don't see it happening, but, you know, maybe I'm wrong. There are big countries who have love and respect towards all sports and especially tennis, because I can see China has two huge tournaments, Beijing and Shanghai, that are one of the best tournaments in the world. They love to see the top players, but they struggle to have their own local heroes at the men's game at the top. It's all about having this awareness and really trying to invest not just the money but time and knowledge and expertise into a player. It's a full project for many years. It's not something that happens over two years. Q. You came to China last year and you mentioned that you were reading Hunger Games. It's been a year, and you have so many fans in China that would like to know did you read some new books? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, since then I read some new books. (Laughter.) Q. Can you tell them some interesting ones? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Okay, the one that I am reading now is the ancient book about history of my people in Serbia. It's not maybe for you as interesting as Hunger Games. THE MODERATOR: Last English question. Q. You mentioned earlier that Rosol has a big serve. He had a lot of big serves today and didn't seem to faze you. What do you do to handle that on the court today? NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Just the right intensity from the start and being reactive. He has a big serve but doesn't give a lot of angles. Even though he serves over 200 kilometers per hour, it more or less comes to my racquet if I'm positioned well. I was trying to get as many balls back in the court, and I've done pretty well. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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