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BNP PARIBAS MASTERSNovember 1, 2012Michael LlordaPARIS, FRANCE M. LLODRA/J. Del Potro THE MODERATOR: Questions, in French, please. Q. Are you totally astonished to be in the quarterfinal here, or when you came here you thought you maybe able to do that? MICHAEL LLODRA: The funny thing is that with Leo, we joked about it. He said, Are you ready for the hold up? I said, Why are you saying that? He said, Well, move. We can break the bank. Then here I am. Well, coming here I knew I was playing well. I had been playing well for the past weeks. But now thinking I would be able to beat Isner and Del Potro, I wasn't sure. It's true that the conditions are getting faster, so I served very well today. Del Potro is a good returner, but you couldn't do anything because I served really well. When my favorite weapon works, then it's difficult to play against me. Q. You're full of energy when you play. Did you work on your fitness during the past weeks? MICHAEL LLODRA: No. I was just able to play several matches in a row. This is something I hadn't been able to do since Marseilles. There were many periods in the year when I was playing and then I stopped playing. Lately I was with my family, I didn't do anything, and then I started practicing again. So there were many ups and downs. Suddenly I was able to play several tournaments in a row, week after week, and then I was able to get the rhythm again. Here I am trying to focus and play point after point, game after game, and it works out. Q. Did you ask ATP to organize a tour in Paris only? And second question, why isn't it like that all year round? MICHAEL LLODRA: But it's difficult to play my kind of game all year round because it requires a lot of energy. This is why I have ups and downs. Of course when the surface a fast like it is here it's easier for me. (Laughing.) So now you're laughing and I don't know what I was saying. I was saying that on fast surfaces it's easier to play my game. On other surfaces, outdoors mainly where the surface is slower, my serve is not as efficient and then it becomes more complicated. If my serve is not working at all it's impossible for me to win a match. When I'm able to play on fast surfaces I want to do well, like here. Unfortunately this doesn't happen every week. Q. There was a year where everything was very fast here. Here this year players were saying it was slower and you're talking about a fast surface. MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, compared with 2010, this surfaces has nothing to do. I don't know what they did at the time. Maybe they forgot to paint the surface. Last year it was extremely slow, but this year it's a compromise. They told me the flooring was a bit thicker, and this has consequence: balls don't bounce as high. So when I serve well, the opponent has trouble returning my serves. We saw that when a player kicks his serve the ball does bounce high. But when I play my volleys, I chip it, it's difficult for my opponents to pass me. I saw that Del Potro had trouble passing me today, and that's because the ball doesn't bounce high and it's good for me. Q. Someone has to ask the question: Why are you wearing that suit? MICHAEL LLODRA: Because I have a meeting, Club France, Davis Cup in a second. I'm already late. This is the logo of the Davis Cup I have on my jacket. Q. How do you feel physically? Are you a bit tired? MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, I was a bit afraid. Yesterday I had a pain on my right foot, but I was able to get a treatment and work on it. Earlier I felt a bit tight in my muscles, but it's all right. No problem. But I know that with further matches it's going to become more difficult, and I have to take care of myself if I want to go further. But I'm not thinking about the future. I'm just thinking about the match tomorrow, point after point, and we'll see what happens. I must say that playing in front of this kind of crowd who are yelling your name and supporting you, you forget about how you feel. Q. How do you see the end of the week with the draw that cleared up? MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, you know, I can lose against any player still in the draw. The players that are remaining are very good players. They maybe are not the best players in the world, but look at Janowicz. He played a perfect match; although I think Murray was not humble enough at the end of the second set. He could have won then. Q. So here you're able to play at home with your family, your children. In Marseilles, also you play well. These are conditions that suit you? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yes, because my family is very important to me. I'm very emotional. When I see that all my family and friends are here, it's like if I had a third leg. That makes you laugh, doesn't it? (Laughter.) So it's always nice to be able to count on the support not only of the crowd but of the family. You're not listening to what I'm saying. (Laughter.) I was able to say the joke and fit it in. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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