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BNP PARIBAS MASTERSNovember 2, 2012Michael LlordaPARIS, FRANCE M. LLODRA/S. Querrey THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please. Q. Five break points, 4‑2, second set. Is it a symbol of your whole week? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yes, I didn't have to save many of them. Zero, I think, since the beginning. Well, I missed a passing, a volley, and a forehand, but I was not in panic. Love‑40 I was still ahead, it was still 4‑2, and since the beginning of the week I have been playing point after point. But that was a vital game because I didn't play like three aces in a row. I played second serve, volleys, etcetera. So it's like I did since the beginning of the week. I have been daring, I have been aggressive, I have been going up to the net. Now how can I explain why it works out? I don't know. When I play like this, I suppose that I impress the opponent a bit more, and also the crowd helps a lot. Q. Isner, Del Potro, etcetera, how come you were not impressed? I mean, they're very tall players, good players. MICHAEL LLODRA: I was never afraid to play against big servers. Of course I depend on what is happening to my opponents, but I'm lucky because I'm able to return, to make chopped returns on both sides, so I try to adapt to their style of serve. Today my opponent had a very big first serve, but the second serve was okay, a lot easier than against Isner. So of course I depend on the way they are serving. When I serve, then I try to serve well to mix it up and to go up to the net as soon as I can. I believe I'm the last player on the tour playing that way, so they don't have time to get used to it. When I'm fit and when things are going well for me, it's tough for them. The surface gets faster and faster.  So they're not used to playing that type of matches anymore. Q. Congratulations. You are now in the semis like in 2010. How can you compare? Are you as confident as two years ago? MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, it's different because in 2010 I had a very consistent year: the Davis Cup, two titles, round of 16 in a Grand Slam. This year was different. It's a very special year. First, I had my third kid. The most important thing this year were the Olympic Games. And after, I relaxed. I also decided not to go to Asia and not to go to the United States so I could take advantage of my kids as much as I could, especially during the summer. This winter I didn't go to Asia so I would be able to play some challengers and play some matches. As I said on the court earlier, four weeks ago, if you had seen me playing Orleans, you would have said, Well, it's not great. I was making double faults, I was not playing well from the baseline, and I was not fit. I was out of breath very soon. But then I played many matches in a row. I played several challengers. I played Mons, I played in Basel, I had a very good match against Darcis, and then I lost against Stepanek. To be honest, I was hoping I would get the wildcard to play here after that. I just love this tournament, and I was dreaming of playing here when I was young. I know here the crowd would be extremely warm to me and that my family would be there. I know that over just one single week I can be very good, and I'm happy that everything is going well. Q. So this year in the semis you'll play Ferrer. What do you think? MICHAEL LLODRA: Oh, it's going to be tough. He was impressive today against Jo. I admit that Jo didn't play a great match, but Jo, on this kind of surface indoors, even if it's not on a good day, he's tough. So David Ferrer was very good on the important points. Tomorrow the match will be different. It won't be like the other players I have played this week. He's very good from the baseline. He returns everything. He doesn't show anything. Of course on the return games he might be easier than the other players, but he's top 5 and it's not for nothing. He's playing at a very high level, but I have nothing to lose. Nobody expected me to reach that stage. Other players might think, oh, Ferrer is lucky he's playing Llodra in the semifinal of a Masters 1000, but he will also think I beat good players to get there. I know tomorrow if I lose badly people will say, Oh, well, beautiful stories have to end. If I do well, people will say, Llodra is in a good week. So I'm ready to hear everything about me tomorrow. Q. You played him twice on hard courts. It didn't go well for you. Maybe he returned very well or you didn't serve well. What happened? MICHAEL LLODRA: I remember a very tough match in Shanghai. I had lost 7‑6, 6‑1. I couldn't play well because my Achilles tendon was hurting. The second time, I don't remember where it was. In Miami. 6‑4, 6‑4 for him. Miami has a very special surface. It's outdoors. But he improved a lot. He's very consistent on hard courts, on clay, even on grass I saw him play very well in Wimbledon this year. So he's just behind the four crazy players at the top, so I will need to be good. Q. Your game means you are taking many risks, so is that more difficult? Is it difficult to play that game? When you play a semi, you'll be tense, I guess. Maybe Ferrer will have an easier game. MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, I take risks, but of course I have to rely on my first serve. It's better when I make it. But even if the opponent returns well, I trust my volley. So when the opponent serves, I try to play fast. But I can't do serve and volley all the time because I get tired, and this is what Ferrer wants me to do, to play right and left. But if I do that, I know I'm going to lose. So I prefer to go up to the net. Sometimes I miss, but that is my strategy. At 5‑All in a tiebreaker, if there is a long rally, it's more difficult for me to do a passing shot rather than if I go up to the net. Against a player like him tomorrow I have to mix it up a lot and be very audacious. Q. You say Ferrer has more pressure than you. But you never won a title in a Masters, so maybe he thinks it's a great opportunity and maybe that's why he has more pressure? MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, if you see the draw, he is now the favorite. But anything can happen on one single match. I don't know if he's looking at the draw, but he saw what happened today. His coach must think, you know, if you don't like this particular opportunity, it would be a pity. As you have seen every week, anything can happen. Q. What can happen in the other semifinal, Gilles Simon against Janowicz? MICHAEL LLODRA: Janowicz is in very good form. He played very well today. I just saw a few points, but I know he's playing well. But Gilles Simon doesn't play like other players. He has a different game. I know him. He's always going to send one extra ball back, and maybe Janowicz will get impatient. Janowicz has nothing to lose, but he played the quallies so maybe he's going to become a bit tired. I don't know. I would bet not a coin but a bank note on Gilles Simon. Q. Okay, but you think you are going to win the whole of it? MICHAEL LLODRA: Well, today I robbed a small bank; tomorrow I will have to play against the Bank of France. (Laughter.) I took some advance already. No, we're laughing about this, but I don't want to stop here. I need to take all my chances to the end. We'll see what happens. Q. This very good week might lead you to change your schedule for next year. MICHAEL LLODRA: No, no, no. Yeah, now I'm ready for the next three years. I'm joking. What I'm saying is my new ranking will make me see things differently, but in the end, this will not change everything. I will just avoid playing the quallies, which is a good thing. So the schedule will be a bit different, yes. But the weeks I decided I was not going to play I will still not play. THE MODERATOR: Questions in English. Q. You mentioned earlier the birth of your third child this summer. I'm wondering what advice would you give for new ATP fathers like Baghdatis about balancing tennis career and family life? MICHAEL LLODRA: No, it's always tough, you know, when you have a new baby. You know, the first one was‑‑ you know, I was scared. The third one was different, because I didn't, you know ‑‑it's always special when you have a baby, but the third one I was a little bit nervous, a lot of stress, and I couldn't play during, you know, the last three months. So, I mean, when you're on the court after, it's very easy even if you miss the match or if you play bad. You go back home, and you have your son and your daughter talking to you. You lose, doesn't matter. You're still my daddy. So enjoy a little bit more, you know, to be, to be on the court and to play. No, it's a lot of work but a lot of fun, also. Q. Can you tell me how much did that time off that you took because of the birth of your child have to have an impact on the partnership with Zimonjic? Is that a big reason things didn't work out or are there other factors, as well? MICHAEL LLODRA: Yeah, it was tough, because last year we play well in the summer. I told him, you know, during French Open, you know, my wife's going to have delivery during Wimbledon. I don't want to play with you. If we are in quarters and semis, my priority is to be there. So we didn't play Wimbledon, and after that, you know, I told him, you know, I prefer to stay with my family during summer.  I want to prepare, you know, the Olympic Games. After that, you know, I want to go on holidays. So he was a little bit upset because last year we won Washington, Montreal, and final in Cincinnati. So there were a lot of points to defend. He understand, but it was tough for him. After that, you know, I told him, also, I'm not going to in Asia. I prefer to play for my single ranking, staying in Europe to play challenger. He understand, but, you know, that's‑‑ you know, it's sports and that's my life. I decide, you know, to go like this. He understood because he had two child, also. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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